Remember Me
by Caitie Manda
Summary: "See you around." She whispers faintly. I look up just in time to see her walk away. I fight away the tears that I can feel stinging my eyes. "See you…" I murmur. My heart is breaking into millions of tiny pieces. Lina, is this…is this what you want? LM/DH pairing. AU, set in present time.
1. Chapter 1: The Party

It was Lina's first time to attend a party in her entire life. Now that was really saying something, considering the fact that she was eighteen years old, but she couldn't deny that simple truth. Lina had never been a big fan of them - she thought that the alcohol consumption was a little too much for her taste - and she still wasn't.

She had even considered not going at all, but after her friends eventually all got invited - by word of mouth, of course - she decided she would go after all (mostly due to her friends' persuasive skills, mind you). The plan was that she, considering the fact that she usually got pretty shy around large crowds, would just simply have fun with her friends and mingle as minimally as possible with the other guests, but no; fate always had a way of always screwing with her plans.

Her best friend, Lizzie Bisco, had cancelled at last minute because of a family reunion to go to; Sarah Reding, another of her close friends, had caught the flu three days before the party; Zoey Blooming had a funeral; Betsy Wright had a birthday party for her little brother, and Patrisha Patterson, who was known to all of her friends as 'Trish', went out of town for the weekend to visit some relatives. So, Lina was left alone, reclusing herself away in a chair located in the corner of the walk-in kitchen pantry. In other words: as far away from everyone else as possible.

Stupid fate.

At the end of the night, the hostess, Karen Whittman, would send all of the boys home and keep the girls over for a sleepover - the sober ones, in any case. Lina had decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to escape. Surely no one would notice if one of the guests had disappeared, right?

Oh... life really did like to have its fun with her.

Tick Hassler stumbled into the pantry, a red plastic cup in hand. He looked up at her with unfocused blue eyes. He was tall, muscular, and lean, and his usually neat, tidy hair was a mess. His clouded eyes met Lina's clear, deep blue ones. "Who're you?" He asked groggily.

Lina looked at him like he was an alien. Really, at that moment she thought he was in comparison to his sober self. He stunk of alcohol and she could see the golden liquid sloshing around in his cup. When she didn't speak, he took a clumsy step toward her. "Um..." she backed away from him as he neared her.

"Who're you?" Tick repeated loudly, unintentionnally slurring his words and pursuing with sluggish steps towatd her.

She backed into a pantry shelf, flinching at the realization that she had run out of room. "Stop drinking that!" She snapped, snatching away his cup.

"Hey!" he yelped, reaching out for it. Alcohol, luckily for Lina and not so much for the drunk teenager in her company, had a tendency to make a person slower, giving Lina the chance to shove him out of her way, cup in hand, and throw open the pantry door. No one was in the kitchen, so Lina's reappearance went unnoticed. She wondered, as she made her way to the living room and forced herself through the crowd of people to find a trashcan to drop Tick's cup in, who had brought the alcohol in the first place.

_It was most likely a boy, _Lina decided. The music was turned up to an ear-shattering volume, and Lina had to yell if she wanted to be heard. Luckily, she didn't. Over the large mass of sweating, dancing bodies, Lina spotted a large trashcan in the corner of the room. Slithering through the crowd, Lina reached it and dropped the cup into the black plastic bin. She heard a _thump!_ as the cup hit the bottom and a _splash!_ as the alcohol spilled out.

Lina spun around on her heels quickly and squeezed her way back through the crowd toward the front door. She reached out, turned the knob, and slipped out through the partial opening she had made and shutting it quickly behind herself. Lina reached into her pocket, retrieved her cell phone, and quickly dialed her mom's number into the phone. Her real mothee had died not long after Poppy, Lina's little sister was born due to childbirth complications, and after her father died their grandmother took care of them. But when she passed, their next door neighbor, a close friend of their grandmother's whom Lina had referred to as Mrs. Murdo at the time, took them in.

Now, after living with the woman for almost six years, Lina had just recently decided to call her mom. Mrs. Murdo was just like a mom: she attended all of the school and family functions, baked a lot, and kept the house organized and tidy, but she knew that she would never fill in the shoes of the girls' real mother. That was okay, though. All Lina cared about was that she and her sister had a nice place to stay and that Poppy had a mature adult in her life to teach her and set a good example for her.

"Hello?" Mrs. Murdo's voice said through the speaker pressed to Lina's ear.

"Hi, mom." Lina said, "Can you please come pick me up?"

"Is the party over already?" the woman asked.

"Uh," Lina looked back at the house, the sound of the music loud enough for her to detect the song that was playing, "sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Yes." Lina said impatiently, "Just please…come get me."

"Okay." Mrs. Murdo sighed, "I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

"Thanks. 'Bye." Lina hung up the phone after hearing Mrs. Murdo's goodbye and slid the phone back into her pocket.

"Hey." A familiar voice said. Lina heard the front door open and close behind her and cringed. She didn't turn around. A warm hand rested itself on her shoulder, and it spun her around.

"Hi again, Tick." Lina glared down at the ground.

"Hey beautiful." He said. She suppressed a shudder of disgust.

"I don't really know you." Lina muttered, trying to pull away from him. She backed up into a car, cornered by him. Again. His other hand rested itself on her other shoulder.

"Sure you do," he replied, smiling a drunken smile and revealing two rows of perfectly straight, white teeth. "I've seen you around."

"Yeah, well…" Lina wriggled in his grasp. It was no use. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I saw you in the pantry." He said, interrupting her reverie. He leaned in closer, "You took my drink." He didn't sound too pleased about that.

"Sorry about that," Lina apologized quietly, "it's just that it's not the best thing you could be -" his lips slammed down on hers forcefully, interrupting her. She jerked hers from his, rubbing her lips on her shoulder. His grip on her arms was so tight that her fingertips were beginning to tingle from loss of complete circulation. "What are you doing?" She hissed, deciding it was best not to mention that part.

"C'mon," he said, "give me a real kiss."

"I didn't want to kiss you in the first place!"

"You only want me to think that." Tick smiled cockily at her. She didn't even attempt to repress her sudden urge to gag.

"You're a filthy pig." Lina spat through gritted teeth.

"Hey," Tick pouted, "no need to throw the insults."

"Get off of me." She ordered, her voice stronger than she felt. Inside, she was falling apart due to fear and insecurity about her situation. _Deep breaths, Lina. Mom always told you to be calm in situations like these_.

"Give me a kiss, then."

"No." Lina said firmly.

"Then I won't let you go." He replied, smiling triumphantly.

"Well I guess we'll be here all night, because I'm not kissing you." She argued stubbornly. _Even in his drunken stupor, he is still the same jock who thinks all the girls in the entire school want him_. Lina thought, grimacing. _What a slime ball_. To prove her point further, Tick had the audacity to give Lina a surprised look.

"One more." He forced, the shock quickly forgotten. He had drawn his face so closely to hers that she could feel his uncomfortably hot breath upon her face and smell the alcohol heavily upon it.

"I don't want to kiss you!" Lina shouted. _Okay, screw being calm! I want to get out of here right now!_ "Leave me alone!" His lips crushed hers again. Her body went completely rigid and she clenched her jaw as hard as she could to keep him from entertaining himself by playing with her tonsils. As fun as that sounded - note the sarcasm, here - she really want interested. At all. She jerked herself from his kiss once again.

"I always liked a challenge." Tick said thoughtfully, as if he were really in the right state of mind to do so.

"Get away or else." Lina warned him.

"Or else what?"

"Or else…" Lina tried to think of something quickly, struggling as she drew a blank, "or else…"

"Or else you might just regret not doing so." A male voice piped up for her, the owner's tone angry and irritated. A fist accompanied the statement and Tick fell to the ground in an instant, knocked out cold. Lina knew from the sound he'd have a black eye by the morning. Lina turned around to see who had defended her.

There was a familiar looking boy standing before her, curling and uncurling his fingers on his right hand. He had dark brown shaggy hair and brown eyes, and was wearing a leather jacket and baggy jeans and tennis shoes. She recognized the teenager; she had seen him in the hallways and even had a few classes with him, but she couldn't remember his name. "Thanks, uh…"

"Doon." He said, "Doon Harrow."

"Thanks, Doon." Lina tried again.

"No problem." He shook his right hand, "Damn!" he said, "I didn't think I would hit him _that _hard!" Lina's eyes traveled down to the boy who lay unconscious on the ground at her feet. Doon started to walk away. After he'd gotten a few yards away, he turned around. "You coming?" He asked.

"What are you talking about?" Lina called back.

"Well, you can either come with me or wait until _he _wakes up." He jerked his head in Tick's direction. Lina looked at Tick again before finally making her decision.

"Wait up!" She cried, running to catch up with Doon.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_Hello, lovely readers! _

_I'm currently going through and editing all of my chapters, so even if you've already read my story I'd advise you to read it again. I added some sentences, took out some words here and there... I'll have all of the work done very soon. Thank you for your patience!_

_And please don't forget to review. :)_

_-Caitie Manda_


	2. Chapter 2: Let's Go

"No way." Lina said, crossing her arms.

"Do you want to get out of here or not?" Doon asked, irritation inching its way into his voice.

"Yes, I do, but…" She glanced at the black motorcycle in front of them. "It's dangerous. I'm not doing it."

"Okay," Doon shrugged. "You can stay, then. But it looks like your buddy over there is waking up." He flicked his thumb over his shoulder and Lina turned around to look where he was pointing. Tick was beginning to stir on the ground a few feet away. Doon held out the helmet; Lina heavily weighed her options. _Stay with Tick and wait for mom to get here, or make an escape with someone I barely know... Which one should I -_

"Fine," she snapped, grabbing the helmet and jamming it onto her head, "but you have to take me straight home."

"No problem." Doon swung one leg over the bike and plugged the key into the ignition. He looked up at Lina. "You know, for you to actually go anywhere you have to _get on_."

"I knew that..." Lina mumbled, not in the mood for an argument. She climbed on behind him and clasped tightly onto the sides for support.

"Lina," Doon turned around, "if you don't want to fall off, you should hold on to me." Lina stiffly unwound her fingers and wrapped her arms loosely around his torso. Doon grunted in annoyance and took her hands, wrapping her arms tighter around him. "This is for your safety, just to let you know." She rolled her eyes. _Right_.

Lina looked over her shoulder one last time. Tick was pulling himself to his feet, mumbling something she couldn't hear due to the distance between them. He stumbled around a little bit as he tried to steady himself. That's when he saw her. "Hey!" He yelled.

"Go." Lina murmured to Doon. Tick started to run toward the bike.

"What?" Doon said over the engine.

"Go." She urged again, louder. Tick was already halfway across the yard.

"What?" Doon repeated, raising his voice. Lina took his head in her hands and turned it to look at Tick.

"GO!" Lina screamed in his ear. Doon gave a sharp nod, finally understanding, and revved the engine. Then, they took off.

They pulled out of the yard and onto the road. "Where do you live?" Doon questioned. Lina told him her address. "I know where that is." Lina's back was rigid, and she held herself in a way so that as little of her front as possible touched his back. It was definitely not a movie moment. "Relax," Doon mused quietly after a while, just loud enough for her to hear over the purring engine. "I don't bite."

Lina slowly, hesitantly leaned forward, still slightly unsure of herself. She tried to relax as he'd instructed her to, but found it to be very difficult. She noticed that Doon wasn't wearing a helmet; his dark hair was flying freely in the wind. Lina's eyes widened at the realization that he had lent her his own helmet. She smiled, comforted enough to release the tension in her body and rest her head on his shoulder. She could feel his surprisingly soft hair lightly blowing on her face by the wind as she watched the scenery zoom by. "Turn here." She instructed, pointing to the entrance to her subdivision.

"I know." Soon said, but he turned accordingly. He maneuvered through the streets quickly before turning onto Lina's street, pulling up to the front of her house slowly. He kicked out the kickstand to steady the bike and then Doon got off and helped Lina climb to the ground after him. She unbuckled the helmet and handed it to him. "Thanks for the ride." Lina said earnestly, turning to look at her house. The front porch had the light on.

"Uh-huh." Doon nodded coolly. That, Lina took it, was his way of saying, 'No big deal' or 'No problem'. She smiled and waved at him as she made her way up the porch stairs.

"So, uh, see you Monday, then." Lina said. It was her way of saying goodbye to a strange boy she hardly knew that had not only saved her from being kissed by the biggest drunken jerk at the entire party, but had also brought her home.

"Yep." Doon responded. Lina didn't really know what else to say, so she gave him a nod before she turned around and knocked on the front door thrice. Her back was to Doon, but she could hear him preparing for his departchure.

He buckled the chin strap underneath his smooth chin and settled himself in the seat of the motorcycle. He put the keys into the ignition and the engine roared to life once again, the front headlight shining brightly. The front door opened and Mrs. Murdo's face emerged, surprise written all over it. "Lina?" she questioned, "How'd you get here?"

She turned around and saw that the motor bike was nowhere in sight. _He's already left_. "One of my friends offered to drive me home."

"Well," Mrs. Murdo beamed, "that was very nice of them." She stepped aside and allowed Lina to come into the house. Lina merely nodded her thanks and went upstairs two at a time to her room. She burst into her bedroom and walked over to the window, pulling back the curtain and pinching open a place in the blinds just large enough for both of her eyes to see through.

"Yes," Lina whispered to herself with a small smile, watching as a small bright light a few streets over zipping its way through the subdivision, "I suppose it was."

OoOoO

**Author's Note**

_I'm still working on edits. I'm about to start working on chapter three now. Once again, I thank you for taking the time to read (or, for some of you, re-read) this story._

_-Caitie Manda :)_


	3. Chapter 3: Monday

Monday rolled around quickly. Lina's alarm clock went off at exactly six o'clock. She was excited about today; she had this feeling that something good was going to happen. Smiling, she leapt out of bed, smacked the snooze button, and turned her bedroom light on. Five minutes later, as she was brushing her hair in the bathroom, she heard that familiar loud, obnoxious beeping sound.

Rolling her eyes and laughing, she laid the brush down, went back into her room, and made sure that the alarm was not only snoozed, but also off. Pleased with herself, she went back to brushing her long dark hair. It was basically bone straight, covering almost three fourths of her back. Deciding to make her outfit simple, she fixed her bangs – which were the kind that covered her forehead and stopped in a neat line just above her eyebrows – even though they went back to their original place, and put a cute headband in her hair just behind them.

She dressed herself in a short denim skirt (about four or five inches above her kneecaps) and a pink tank top, with a short sleeved pink cardigan over it. Slipping her feet into a pair of black gladiator sandals, she stood back and looked at her reflection in the full mirror on her wall. The headband she wore was white with a little flower accessory on it, placed just above her left temple. Pleased with her appearance, she finished getting ready for school and was out the door, car keys in hand.

When she pulled up to the school at promptly seven thirty, she saw that familiar black motorcycle parked in a parking place. Its rider was currently hopping off and unfastening the strap to his helmet. Lina parked her car and pulled the keys out of the ignition, unbuckling with her other hand. She opened the car door and slammed it firmly shut, circling the car to the passenger side to retrieve her school belongings.

As she put the single strap over her left shoulder, her bag hanging at her right side, she glanced back over to Doon. He pulled one of his backpack straps over his shoulder, casually carrying his backpack into the school. She hurriedly gathered the rest of her books in her arms and ran up to him. "Doon!" She said breathlessly as she came up to him, panting lightly after running across the courtyard. Doon slowed down a little, but didn't stop walking completely. He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Could you slow down for a minute?" Lina gasped. Doon finally stopped, but didn't turn around. "Thanks." Lina caught up with him and they began walking side by side into the school.

"Yep." Doon said.

"I never got the chance to properly thank you on Friday night." Lina mused while they walked through the front doors. "So, uh, thanks. I really needed help and I'm glad you showed up." Doon said nothing. His eyes were looking straight ahead. Lina stared at his face, her nose wrinkling in concentration.

"What?" Doon asked irritably after a few seconds, looking down at her. She was about six inches shorter than him. Her blue gaze looked into his brown one.

"Oh," she squeaked, "sorry. Just thinking." She repositioned her arms around her books and continued to speak, "You should sit with me today at lunch. Oh, and today in science, we are doing some kind of experiment thing. I looked it up on the school's website. I think we're dissecting a worm or something…anyway, you should totally join my group. It would be lots of fun, and-"

"Lina." Doon interrupted, standing still. Lina slowed down and turned to look at him, startled. "Let's get something straight. Just because I 'saved you' or whatever on Friday night and gave you a ride home doesn't mean we're friends, got that? You should get that thought out of your head."

"Oh…" Lina's eyes strayed to the floor, her expression downcast. "I…I understand." When she looked back up at him, her eyes were glassy. She gulped hard, trying to swallow a large knot in her throat.

"I'm not your new best friend." Doon continued, "You and I can't be friends, Lina. I'm not the kind of guy you'd want to hang around. You don't need me." He turned and walked away. Lina's eyes followed him, a single tear trickling down her face.

"I know that," She said softly, "but you need me." She sniffled a few times and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. _"Good thing I wore water-proof makeup today." _Lina thought miserably.

**Author's Note**

_I know this chapter is extremely short, so please don't flame me too much for that! In the next chapter, which I'm working on right now, you'll figure out why I chose the title. Hopefully it'll be up in the next hour or two, maybe three. Please review! If you have any ideas for what could happen in future chapters, either post your ideas after your review or send me a PM. _

_Arigato! _

_Caitie Manda_


	4. Chapter 4: Flashback

The spring breeze drifted through the school's playground. The small kindergarten children played; running and swinging and climbing all over the play area. "Tag, you're it!" a little girl shouted, smiling gleefully. She had her brown hair pulled back in two pigtails, each only about three inches in length. There were purple ribbons tied at the base of each of them, tied into two perfect bows.

She was dressed in a denim jumper with a large pocket in the middle of the chest, a large purple flower on it. Underneath that, she wore a white shirt with frilly sleeves, and she wore socks and white and pink Velcro tennis shoes. She laughed loudly, chasing after another girl with shoulder length, curly red hair. The other girl wore a black frilly skirt and a pink and white polka-dot shirt, with a pink headband in her hair. As soon as the first girl's hand brushed the other's arm, the brunette let out a giggle.

The game then switched directions; the redhead was now chasing the brunette. "Lina!" the redhead whined, slowing down.

"What's wrong, Lizzie?" the brunette, Lina asked, turning around and looking at her playmate.

"You're too fast!"

"Oops, sorry!" Lina laughed, "I promise I'll try harder to slow down."

"Okay!" Lizzie beamed. She had a determined look on her face and began running again.

"Hey!" Lina shouted, running again, this time a little slower, "You got a head start!" Lizzie only smiled wider as she chased her.

"Hi." Another girl said as she walked up. She had been watching the girls' game for a little while as she was swinging, and decided to join them. "Can I play?"

"Sure!" Lina giggled, waving the blonde over. The new girl had her hair pulled back into a single braid that stopped in the middle of her back, and her eyes were a startling teal color. She wore a pair of shorts and a lime green T-shirt with a cute frog on the front, sitting on a lily pad. "What's your name?"

"Zoey Blooming." The girl replied shyly, "What's yours?"

"Lizzie Bisco!" Lizzie said enthusiastically, reaching out a hand to shake Zoey's. Zoey hesitantly took it and Lizzie smiled broadly.

"Lina Mayfleet." Lina said. All of a sudden, a mischievous look came upon her face and she pointed at Lizzie, "She's it! Run!" The three girls then resumed their game. As they ran past the school building, Lina noticed something out of place. "I'll be back in a minute!" Lina called, running in the opposite direction as the girls.

"Okay!" Lizzie replied, catching up to Zoey. "You're it!" she announced as she touched her shoulder. The girls ran in a different direction now, Zoey running after Lizzie.

Lina stopped running when she realized that there was a boy here. He had his knees up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them, and he was crying into his knees. He was wearing, from what Lina could see, a pair of shorts and a dark blue T-shirt and black lace-up tennis shoes. His dark brown hair covered his face, so Lina couldn't tell who he was.

She heard a few muffled sobs and he sniffled a few times, and realized that he was crying. She sat down in the grass beside him and touched his arm lightly. "Why are you crying?" she asked curiously. He jumped, obviously startled, and looked up at her with wide, red and puffy watery brown eyes.

"I'm not crying." He said defensively, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Yes you are." Lina argued softly.

"So, what if I am?" the boy questioned, his tone still the same.

"It's okay if you are." Lina said, "But what's wrong?"

"W-well," he sniffled a few times before his bottom lip quivered again and tears spilled out onto his cheeks, "m-my momma d-d-died two d-days ago."

"Oh." Lina said in a barely audible tone. "I'm really sorry."

"W-we g-got in a c-car c-crash," the boy blubbered, "a-and I l-l-lived and momma d-didn't."

"It's okay," She whispered, her tone calm, "I'm glad you lived."

"W-what?" the boy questioned incredulously, rubbing one of his eyes with his hand, "Why?"

"Because I got to meet you," Lina gave an encouraging and friendly smile, "and got to be your friend!"

"B-but you don't even know my name." the boy mumbled.

"Well, mine is Lina Mayfleet." Lina beamed.

"Doon Harrow." Doon said.

"You'll be okay, Doon." Lina said quietly, scooting over to him and giving him a hug. He cried into her shoulder.

"I m-miss her s-s-so m-much!" he sobbed.

"I know," Lina whispered, "but I'm here to help you, I promise."

* * *

><p><em>Five years later<em>

"Hey, Doon," the boys in Doon's fifth grade class taunted, "why don't you go hang out with your little girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend." Doon muttered angrily.

"Doon," Lina whispered from behind his back, "don't listen to them. They're wrong, and you know it."

"Oh, what's she telling you now, Doon?" one of the more aggressive and loud boys jeered, stepping forward, "Are you guys going to go off somewhere and _cry together_, now?"

"No…" Doon mumbled.

"Aww," the boy continued, "looks like little Doon got his feelings hurt."

"Shut up." Doon growled.

"Doon," Lina said, louder this time, "don't waste your time on them."

"Yeah, Doon, listen to your girlfriend over there." The boys mocked, laughing.

"Shut up." Doon said, more loudly this time.

"Oh, did your stupid little girlfriend tell you to say that?" the boy in the front sneered, a fake pout on his face.

"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Doon shouted, the boys quieted down a little. "She means _nothing _to me! She's not really even my FRIEND!" As soon as Doon said it, he realized that he'd gone too far. He turned around to Lina and saw her bottom lip quivering and her eyes were watering. She was backing away from him, and the circle of boys parted and let her pass. She shot him the most heartbreaking look before the boys filled in the gap once again.

"Go home and cry to your mommy, you big baby!" the boys hollered at Lina's retreating figure. Doon knew that for once, this was something that he couldn't apologize for. He bowed his head and vowed that if there ever came a time when Lina decided to befriend him once again that he wouldn't allow her to. He thought about her tortured face once more. He wouldn't hurt her like that ever again.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_Well, that explains his odd behavior in the previous chapter, doesn't it? Please review and tell me what you think! I would also like to take the time to say thank you to each and every one of you who took the time to favorite this and add this to their alerts list. Also, I'd like to give a shout out to my first reviewer!_

_leafysummers: Thank you so much for your review! As for the answer to your question, you'll find out if they become friends again in later chapters…_

_Arigato! :3_

_Caitie Manda_

_P.S._

_If you hadn't realized it by now, this story is supposed to take place in pre-Disaster times. As in, way before the Disaster (our time, basically)._


	5. Chapter 5: Doon's First Interlude

It took all of Doon's self-restraint to keep himself from turning around and running back to Lina and take back what he said. When he was sure that she couldn't see him anymore, he turned around to steal a glance. There she was. Lina was standing all alone in the middle of the hallway, hugging the tops of her arms tightly.

I had a flashback of that time in fifth grade. _That face. _Her face was contorted into the same pained expression as it had then. Why? Doon was sure that she probably didn't remember who he was, so why was she so upset about him telling her that he wasn't her friend? Oh, yeah. Because she's Lina.

Ever since that time in Kindergarten, Doon and Lina were nearly inseparable. They were the best of friends; where one went, the other was sure to be close by. They'd had a few sleepovers now and again, mostly due to Lina's convincing begging. Doon could remember all the hardships that they'd fared together.

He laughed to himself, remembering the time when he'd gotten stuck up in that big tree in Lina's front yard in the second grade. She couldn't get him out and he was too scared to come down; he had climbed too high. Lina ran inside and called 9-1-1. A single fire truck had pulled up to their house, and the ladder was extended to reach where he was. A fireman climbed up the ladder and got him back down, scolding him for climbing so far up.

But then, they had also shared bad times, too. Like when they'd met. Doon's mother had died recently, the impact of the crash killing her upon impact. Doon, on the other hand, had escaped from the event with only a few bruises and cuts. Doon could vividly remember in sixth grade when Lina had come to school on that early Monday morning.

She was precisely on time, as usual, but the way that she dragged her feet and her eyes were so sad…it just wasn't like her. Doon casually asked Lizzie, one of Lina's best friends, what was wrong. "Her mom died in child birth with her little sister," Lizzie had replied, shaking her head sadly. "It's a shame, too. Her mom was really nice and cool."

A pain had struck him, deep within his heart. He wanted to go and comfort Lina, to hug her and tell her that it would be okay in the end like she had done for him in the past, but he didn't allow himself to near her. They never spoke. There was a sort of unbreakable silence between them all through middle and high school. Now, they were seniors, and the painful silence was beginning to get to Doon.

Lina was ready to become friends again, so why did he push her away? He wanted her to be his friend again. He missed it, even. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not after those things he'd said. _And he still hadn't apologized for that. _Doon winced. He knew that an apology was the only polite thing to do. After he'd say it, he'd be on his way and out of her life once again. Things would return to their usual pace as they had for the last seven years.

Doon sighed. He shook his head to clear all of his thoughts once more. _Yes, _he decided, _I'll apologize. _He looked back to the place where Lina was standing. The hallway was completely empty, spare a few. Sighing again, Doon adjusted his backpack strap and made his way to his locker, getting his things for his first period class. This was _exactly _what he needed to start off the day – a tardy. If he hurried, he could make it to his class just before the bell rang. Luckily, his first class happened to be with Lina.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>**

_So what did you think? I decided that I would have an interlude from Doon's point of view. This chapter wasn't going to be that way at first, but...I dunno. Sometimes, these stories have a mind of their own. Reviews are greatly appreaciated! I send much love and appreciation to all of you for favoriting and subscribing to this story. :)_

_Arigato! :3_

_- Caitie Manda_


	6. Chapter 6: Apology

Lina held her car keys so tightly that her knuckles were white. Her hands were shaking as she pressed the 'unlock' button. Truth was, she was angry. This morning, Doon's words had saddened her. She felt almost like the same thing had happened before, but she couldn't remember where. Now, she was extremely enraged.

She opened her car door and slowly slid into the front seat taking deep breaths to calm herself down. Lina struggled to keep her composure on her way to lunch, so to keep herself from blowing up in her friends' faces, she decided to excuse herself and go out to buy lunch. Actually, she was going home. She would probably have a sandwich and a bag of chips or something.

As she put the keys into the ignition, she saw a familiar figure crossing the courtyard. Her eyes narrowed as he came up to her car. "Lina," Doon said, tapping on her window, "please open the door or roll down the window."

"Why should I?" Lina snapped, rolling her eyes. This was just…embarrassing. For him.

"Please." The tone in Doon's voice shocked her out of her anger. It was genuine and apologetic.

"Fine." Lina agreed, "But you only get a minute." She took the keys out of the ignition. Doon stepped out of the way to allow her to open her door. Lina closed the door, and walked up to the sidewalk where he was standing, her hands on her hips. "Speak now or forever hold your peace."

"Lina, I'm really sorry." Doon said slowly and earnestly. Lina could feel a light blush on her cheeks as he spoke, shock settling in.

"For what?" she inquired, though she had a feeling that she already knew.

"For that time in fifth grade." Doon replied. Lina was instantly confused.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"Don't you remember…?" Doon asked.

"Remember what?"

"All of those boys on the playground. In a big circle. Around you and me." Doon clarified.

"Um…" Lina looked at his face, trying hard not to laugh at his expression of disbelief. "Sorry, but…" she squeezed her eyes together tightly and crinkled her nose in concentration. She racked her brain to remember. Nothing came to her. "no. I don't remember."

"Anyway," Doon continued, replacing his awestruck tone with an irritated one, "if ever do, I just wanted to say that I'm really, really sorry."

"Um, thanks…?" Lina stood there staring at him expectantly for a minute.

"What?" he questioned, annoyance laced into his voice.

"Don't you have anything _else _to apologize for?" Lina narrowed her eyes. She knew that he knew what she was talking about.

"Nope." He responded coolly. Lina's jaw unhinged. Anger flared up inside of her. She balled up her fists tightly at her sides and resisted the urge to slap him across the face as hard as she possibly could.

"Whatever." She huffed. "I'm leaving. Bye." She turned around to leave. A hand grabbed her wrist, preventing her from going any further. Electrical currents are sent all down her body and a shiver runs down her spine. She turned and looked at him, surprised.

"I'm sorry." Doon whispered, his brown eyed stare boring into her.

"F-for…?" Lina stuttered, her heart fluttering around in her chest.

"For this morning." Doon explained. "I shouldn't have said that to you."

"It's fine." Lina squeaked.

"No," Doon argued, "it's not. That was rude of me. Let me take you out to lunch to make it up to you." Lina couldn't believe it. First, he says that they aren't friends and that they can't be. Then, he apologizes for something completely out of the blue that she doesn't even know about. Now, he's taking her out to lunch. What a weird day.

"O-okay." Lina agree shakily, "Sure." Doon released her wrist and looked from her car over to his motorcycle. She understood immediately what he was contemplating. "We're taking my car." Lina stated. Doon nodded and followed her over to it. So maybe, just _maybe_, today wouldn't be so bad after all. Lina would have to wait and see.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_I hate to admit it, but I've been getting terribly lazy about putting author's notes up on all my chapters. I will keep reminding myself that this is simply so that you, my dear reader, will be able to read my thought process. I thought this chapter went over really well! I wasn't exactly sure how Doon's apology would turn out, but I think that it was alright. I always think it's kinda funny when you're writing from one character's point of view, and yet you're totally focused on what the other character is thinking. _

_Could you tell that Doon was extremely freaked out about the fact that Lina couldn't remember? Did Lina really forget everything, or is her mind hiding away all those memories behind some kind of wall? You'll find out very soon! Please review! Criticism and ideas are accepted in stride. Anonymous reviews are allowed for all my stories, so no worries there…oh, look at me. I'm rambling again. Sorry about that. Thank you for reading!_

_Arigato! :3_

_Caitie Manda_

_P.S._

_Even though I have only one review, I'm not too disappointed. I just hope that you guys like it. But seriously, if you don't review I'll think you didn't like it. So if you don't want me to think that you hated it…please review! _


	7. Chapter 7: Down Memory Lane

Lina and Doon slid into a booth, each of them occupying one of the two leather seats. "Here's your menus." The waitress said cheerily, a totally fake grin plastered on her face as she handed the teenagers the two aforementioned menus.

"Thank you." Lina said to the waitress. She merely nodded, her fake smile growing slightly bigger.

"What would you like to drink?" the waitress chirped in a sing-song voice.

"I'll have a coke." Doon stated.

"Water for me, please." The waitress wrote it down on a writing pad with a bright pink pen. "Thank you." Lina added quickly.

"I'll be back shortly!" The woman smiled, walking away.

"I dunno about you," Doon whispered, holding his hand over one side of his mouth and looking in the direction the woman had disappeared in as if he was telling some kind of life-changing secret, "but that woman was really damn creepy."

"Doon!" Lina scolded, pushing his shoulder lightly.

"What?" he questioned with feigned innocence, throwing his hands up dramatically. The two burst out laughing.

After their laughter had started to subside, Lina giggled quietly, "I agree." The laughter started up again, until they finally decided to look at their menus. Lina was surprised at how easy it was to spend time with Doon. He was so much more…reserved…before. Even on Friday. Weird.

Lina's eyes scanned the menu until she spotted what she wanted. With a pleased expression on her face, she folded her menu back up and placed it down on the table. Doon smirked at her. "What are you getting?"

"Surprise." Lina replied mischievously. Doon sat back and stifled a laugh.

"Well okay then!" He joked. Lina couldn't help but smile. She'd never seen this goofy side of Doon before. He had started to warm up to her when he was apologizing. Just thinking about it made Lina's wrist tingle, and she could feel his hand around it once more. She blushed and looked at her lap, hoping Doon wouldn't notice.

She could feel his brown eyed stare boring into her. He had _definitely _noticed. That just made her blush deepen. Doon burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Lina asked defensively.

"You." Doon gasped out. Lina gave him a 'you're so not funny' glare and he quieted down. As if on cue, the waitress reappeared, drinks in tow.

"Are you ready to place your orders?" She asked in a light tone, placing their glasses in front of them along with two straws. Lina wondered briefly if she practiced acting cheerful. It was almost…sickening.

"I think so." Doon answered, placing his menu down on the table. "Lina?"

"I'll have a green salad, please." Lina said. The waitress scribbled this down on her pad. "What kinds of dressing do you have?"

"We have ranch, vinaigrette, blue cheese, extra virgin olive oil, caesar, and thousand island." The waitress recited.

"I'll have ranch, thank you." Lina offered, giving the waitress a small, encouraging smile. The waitress turned to Doon.

"I'd like the medium rare steak with barbeque sauce." Doon paused a moment before continuing, " As for my side, I'd like green beans." The waitress wrote it all down. Nodding – more to herself than Doon and Lina – she gave them a big megawatt smile and turned on her heels toward the kitchen. "Again," Doon muttered, "creepy."

Lina opened her straw and set it in her glass of water, watching the ice cubes tinkle around inside. She took her lemon from the side of the cup, squeezed the juice in, and dropped the lemon in. "Mhm." She agreed, taking a large gulp of lemony water. Doon took a sip of coke.

"So," Doon spoke, his low, velvety voice nonchalant, "are you having a good time?"

Of course I am! I want to do this every day for lunch. I want to get to know you better and vice versa. "Yeah." Lina smiled. _Real smooth, Lina._

"That's cool." Doon smirked, taking another drink. "I am, too."

"I'm sorry I don't remember." Lina blurted. _Where in the WORLD did that come from?_

"It's fine," Doon assured her. Lina didn't feel assured. If anything, she felt worse. Doon seemed like he was really sorry about whatever it was. _Oh, well. What's in the past is in the past._

Lina looked out the window and allowed memories to churn within her. She remembered coming here with her mom and dad, when they were still alive. She let out an inward sigh. Things were so much…different now. Everything seemed more distant. Lina sometimes felt like she wasn't really up-to-date on what was going on. Luckily, that's what having giggling, gossiping friends are for.

"Are you okay?" Doon's voice interrupted her train of thought.

"Huh?"

"It seems like something's bothering you." Doon said slowly. _How can he be so perceptive when we've only just met? …wait…that…that doesn't sound right…I feel like…we've been friends before. Before this. I'm sure of it. I just…can't remember…it was so LONG ago…_

"Doon," Lina changed the subject, "haven't we been friends before?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer it. Have we?"

"Yes, we have." Doon said softly, a distant look in his brown eyes. "Best friends, in fact."

"Oh," Lina's voice faltered from that look on his face. _His eyes…they seems so…sad…why? _"What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why aren't we still friends? We…" Lina slowly felt a single memory unfold before her.

* * *

><p><em>There was a boy sitting against the wall. I could just barely see him through the shadows cast by the building, but I knew he was there. I had the urge to comfort him. His knees were pulled up to his chest, his face buried in them, crying. I sat beside him and reached out and brushed his arm with my fingers. It was smooth to the touch. "Why are you crying?" <em>

_He jumped, obviously not expecting to see me. I doubted that he expected to see anyone. He looked up at me with slightly swollen, teary red eyes. "I-I'm not crying."_

"_Yes you are." I tried to help him to say what was bothering him. For some reason, I had to know. I deeply wanted to understand why he was so distraught. _Why are you so sad…?

"_So what if I am?" he said defensively. I understood this; he didn't want people to know that he had sat here and cried. I wouldn't have cared if anyone saw me cry. But he was a boy. These things are much, much more important to them. They have to be strong all the time. They have to be tough. Therefore, they cannot cry. I was touched by the fact that this boy, sitting in front of me, nameless as of yet, was crying. He let all his defenses go for just a moment to express his emotions. That really interested me._

"_It's okay if you are." I said softly, "But what's wrong?" For a moment, he just stared at me, surprised by the fact that I would go out of my way to comfort him. Finally, his walls came crashing down once again._

"_W-well," he started sniffling again, and I knew he was going to start crying all over again. His bottom lip quivered violently, and, as if a dam burst, tears flowed steadily down his cheeks. "M-my momma d-d-died two d-days ago." And there it was. The reason for his weeping. I felt a wave of compassion wash over me for this boy that I didn't even know._

"_Oh," my voice came out barely above a whisper, "I'm really sorry."_

"_W-we g-got in a c-car c-crash," The boy explained in a shaky voice, his tears speeding up and his sniffles multiplying. He needed to talk about it, I could just tell. A sob racked his body and he drew in a quivering breath before continuing, "a-and I l-l-lived and momma d-didn't." More sobs followed, and he covered his face in his hands to stifle the sound a little._

"_It's okay," I whispered to him, touching his arm again lightly. He looked up at me. "I'm glad you lived."_

"_W-what?" he asked incredulously. He rubbed at one of his eyes with a balled up fist. "Why?"_

"_Because I got to meet you and got to be your friend!" I said, smiling like an idiot. It made perfect sense to me. Even though many people didn't understand my motives or my actions, they made sense to me. When I had said those words, I didn't say them just to help him cheer up. I said them because I really, truly meant them._

"_B-but…" the boy muttered, looking at the ground, "you don't even know my name."_

"_Well, mine is Lina Mayfleet." I said proudly._

"_Doon Harrow." The boy chided softly._

"_You'll be okay, Doon." I murmured, moving closer to him and hugging him again. At first, the boy was stiff underneath my embrace, but I felt his arms wrap tightly around my back soon enough. I smiled a watery smile for him. He'd be okay. I knew he would. Everything would work itself out now, because I made a silent promise. I promised that I would help Doon no matter what. Even if he really badly messed up, I'd still help him. Because, that's what friends are for, right? I would be that kind of friend for Doon. He needed me, even if he didn't know it yet._

* * *

><p>"D-Doon…" I whispered, my eyes still looking out the window.<p>

"What's wrong?" He asked, alarm ringing in his voice.

"I…" I looked at him and locked eye contact. He gently urged me forward with his intense gaze. "I…" my breathing hitched, and my heartbeat sped up. I couldn't understand what was going on with me. My palms were clammy and I felt cold all of a sudden. "I remember." I whispered, a ringing filling my ears. Then, blackness engulfed me and I felt myself fall to the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_What happened to Lina? What is Doon's reaction to this? You'll have to wait and see…these questions and more will be answered very soon…now, don't forget to review!_

_Arigato! :3_

_- Caitie Manda_


	8. Chapter 8: Dear Diary

Lina opened her eyes and was greeted by a familiar room. She began to sit up – keyword here is _began_ – but lay right back down because her head was pounding. She looked around the room. Yes, she was sure of it now; she was lying on her bed at home. Lina's eyesight was still a bit foggy. She saw a silhouette slip into the room. "So you've finally decided to wake up." Mrs. Murdo's voice drifted to her ears.

"M-mom…?" she questioned disbelievingly. "Why am I here? Shouldn't I be at school?"

"Yes, you should, but your friend carried you over. What was his name, again? Doon, I think. He seemed like a very nice boy." Mrs. Murdo sat down at the end of Lina's bed.

"Where is he?" Lina began rubbing her temples, a headache beginning to set in.

"Well, considering the fact that your school doesn't get out until three thirty five and that it's only three twenty, where do you think?" Lina sometimes hated how right Mrs. Murdo could be.

"What happened?" Lina asked blinking her eyes quickly to clear her vision. It was slowly becoming less foggy and shadowy.

"You fainted, my dear." Mrs. Murdo informed Lina gently.

"I…" Lina could easily picture the moment all over again, but she still couldn't believe it. "I did?"

"Yes, you did." Mrs. Murdo looked from Lina to the door and back again. "Well honey, I hate to leave you now, but I need to get back down to the kitchen. I'm cooking dinner, you know."

Lina laughed lightly. "Go to your cooking, then!" she smiled. Mrs. Murdo knew she wasn't trying to be rude, so she smiled back.

"I'll be back in a little while to check up on you." Mrs. Murdo stated as she was walking out of the door, using one of her best motherly tones. Lina settled herself deeper into her pillows, thinking. _"His mother…oh, poor Doon…such a terrible way to…" _Lina felt her eyes begin to water. A few hot tears began to escape from the corners of her eyes, and she wiped them away quickly, feeling extremely stupid.

"Great." She muttered. "First I faint, and now _this._" The bitterness in her voice was unmistakable. She felt weird. She had been crying. _But…why…? _Lina shook her head. Then, she remembered something else. This something might actually come in handy for her. In elementary school, she had kept a diary for herself. Considering the fact that she could remember nothing about her and Doon's previous friendship, it would come in handy. There was just one problem. _"Where did I put it?"_

She rolled out of bed and searched a few possible places. She looked under her bed, on her bookshelf, in her dresser…but that's when she remembered. Her eyes turned towards a door within her room. A smile spread on her lips. _The closet._

Inching her way over to it, she opened the door and struggled to remember where it would be. There was a simple clothes rack, a bar that stretched its way from one end of her closet to the other with all of her clothes hanging on it, a shoe rack hanging on the inside of the closet door with shoe pockets on it which were mostly occupied, and a shelf above the bar. There were a few boxes on it. She stood and reached up to snatch one. She opened it hastily, and all that greeted her were a few old birthday cards and other trinkets. She put the box on her bed.

Moving on to the next one, she pulled the cardboard flaps loose. There was an incredibly small amount of old sweaters and other articles of clothing that she had outgrown but refused to give up folded up neatly inside. She placed this box beside the other. She grabbed a third box. It was a stiff box with a removable lid. She took off the lid and there it was. A single item. A small, pink book with a few purple hearts on it and a little buckle to hold it closed.

Smiling triumphantly, she picked the book up carefully, as if it were made of some kind of glass, and let the box fall to the ground. She sat down on her bed and gingerly unbuckled the clasp. The book was now ready to be opened. She opened it to the first page.

_Deer Diree,_

_Todey wuz my firs day of kinnergarden. I had fun. We culurd and playd outsid. I want to do it again._

_Luv,_

_Leena_

She laughed, remembrance washing over her. All of her 'a's and 'e's were backwards. She flipped past a few pages. She came upon one that struck her interest.

_Deer Diree,_

_I saw a boy at reesess. He was cryig. His name was Duune. He said his mommy dyd. I crid when I got hom. I am his fren now. We will be frens forevr and evr._

_Love,_

_Lina_

Lina skipped lots of pages. She passed first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade…fifth grade. She was pleased to note that her spelling was marginally better. She found the entry that would explain what Doon was talking about.

_Dear Diary,_

_Boys are so mean! Doon embarrassed me in front of all the other boys in our whole class! They were teasing him again. This time, though, he couldn't take it. It was a lot worse than any other time. They were saying stuff like, "Doon, is that your little girlfriend?" and "Are you guys going to go and cry together now?" My blood was boiling, but I bit my tongue. I knew that they could take anything I said and turn it against me._

_But Doon…he's always been impulsive when he's angry. One little slip and that's it – he'll explode! They were past that point. Doon was about to pop. "Doon," I whispered to him, "don't listen to them. You know it's not true." He wasn't listening. He was angry. His jaw was clenched, his breathing was starting to accelerate, and his fists were balled up so tightly that his knuckles were white._

"_SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" he shouted at them, "She means nothing to me! She's not really even my friend!" My heart stopped. Doon, _my _Doon, had totally just said that. I could feel the tears coming faster than I meant for them to. I ran out of the group, shooting Doon 'a look' and came all the way home. I cried so hard. I know I shouldn't be mad at him. After writing the whole situation down, I guess Doon said it upon an impulse. I knew all along that he didn't mean it. It still hurts._

_I can't help that. If I think about it really hard, I've already forgiven him. He's one of my best friends. I can't lose him. Not after all these years…I hope Doon is okay. I should probably call him to check on him. Knowing Doon, though, he wouldn't answer even if I did. He's frustrated with himself. I know he's sorry. Everything will work out by tomorrow, I'm sure. Wish me luck…_

_With Love,_

_Lina_

As Lina read over this, the memory started coming back to her. She remembered. Letting out a sigh, she already knew what was on the next page. Unfortunately, she remembered that pain all too well.

_Dear Diary,_

_It's official. Doon hates me. He won't talk to me. I keep trying to go up to him, but he walks away from me. What did I do wrong? Is it because I left yesterday? If it is…it wasn't my fault. Doon caused that. Actually, that's not true. Those boys caused that. They sort of pressured Doon into saying it, which made me upset and leave. So much for 'friends forever', right? I should…I should go. I don't really feel like writing anymore. I'm sorry._

_Much hurt,_

_Lina_

Lina wrote less and less after that. The book eventually got full, but…it took a while. Until she was in eighth grade, in didn't want to read anymore. She wanted to talk to Doon. She wanted to know his side of the story. She closed the book and set it back into its box, and put all the other boxes up on the shelf once more.

Tomorrow. It was now decided. Tomorrow, Lina would confront Doon about this. There would be no more running and no more forgetting. She had remembered now, hadn't she? She wanted to remember it as fully as she could. Doon _would _cooperate, whether he wanted to or not. The choice had been decided for him.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_So…what did you think? Did you like Lina's kindergarten entries? Yes, I spelled all of those things wrong on purpose. I used my own old kindergarten journal to look up the spellings. Please remember, reviews are love! _

_Arigato! :3_

_- Caitie Manda_


	9. Chapter 9: Confrontation

A spring breeze ruffled Lina's hair slightly and pulled gently at her dress. She was wearing a simple outfit – a knee length, spaghetti strapped white sundress with a flower pattern in different shades of pink, a short dark pink sweater that went down just underneath her chest with all three of the buttons unbuttoned, white gladiator sandals, and her hair was worn in a low ponytail. So in other words, her outfit could be summarized as 'nothing too special'.

She held her lunch bag tightly in her grip. Lina's eyes scanned the students lounging around in the schoolyard with her lunch bag in tow. She squeezed it tightly in her hands, nervousness suddenly overwhelming her. She loosened her fingers. Lina was not used to feeling this way; she was not the kind of person to be jittery over something as simple as she was about to do. But, Lina reminded herself, this was definitely no simple task. Especially if she had to deal with Doon. Stubborn, thick-headed, boyish, immature Doon. Lina rolled her eyes as he came into her view.

He was sitting at one of the picnic tables, surrounded by flirty girls. Doon seemed a little bit annoyed by their attention. Every time he said a single word, it sent all of the girls into a blushing, giggling fit. Although, and Lina hated to be caught staring, he seemed like he was having a somewhat good time. That irritated her. Lina clenched her teeth and balled both of her hands up so tightly that her fingernails were beginning to dig into her palms.

She stomped up to the table and waited impatiently for Doon to acknowledge her, tapping her foot briskly. "Oh, Doon!" one of the girls cooed, "You're so funny!" the comment was followed by a chorus of girly giggling.

"And handsome!" Another piped in. That was it. Lina was not going to stand here and be ignored for her entire lunch period. She cleared her throat loudly. Doon's brown eyes flicked up immediately and connected with hers. His eyes were pleading. 'Help me!' they screamed miserably.

"May I have a moment?" Lina asked, enthusiasm, annoyance, and fake politeness enriching her tone. The girls looked up and shot her dirty looks before huffing away. Doon watched in awe as they stormed off, chattering away angrily. After a few moments, he turned his attention back to his lunch, which consisted of a sandwich, chips, and a bottle of soda, and took a bite of sandwich. His face was a mask of indifference; he acted as if Lina wasn't even there. She cleared her throat again. She received no response. "Doon."

The boy in question turned his head slightly over his shoulder in her direction as he swallowed his food. "What?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Oh, really?" he inquired sarcastically, "I never would've guessed."

"You know, this would be _a lot _easier if you'd look at me." Lina said, agitation beginning to cloud her mind once more.

"Nah," he took a sip of his drink, "nothing really to look at, so…"

"Cut the crap." Lina spat. Doon almost choked on his drink in shock. Almost.

"What are you talking about?" Doon questioned with an air of feigned innocence.

"Just turn around." He obliged, but did so ever so slowly. Lina threw her lunch down on the table opposite of Doon's, turning around so that they would be looking at each other when she spoke.

"This any better, princess?"

"Oh, shut up." Lina muttered. She remembered the reason that she'd come to talk to him in the first place and began to speak with a newfound resolve. "Doon, I remember what happened. Everything."

Doon's cool façade fell a little. "Everything?"

Lina sighed. "Yes."

"Continue."

"Well, I was going through some…uh…stuff…yesterday, after you brought me home – oh, and thank you for that, by the way – when I found a sort of…" she tried to tell him about her diary without telling him that she'd even kept a diary. It was turning out to be very difficult. "a documentary. An account that explained what happened that day in fifth grade. And…I remembered."

"Oh." Doon's face was drained of all color.

"It's fine." Lina said.

"I…" Doon turned around, obviously ready to drop the subject. Lina was hit with a wave of compassion. So this was the problem. He felt guilty.

"Doon," she slid into the space next to him and reached out to comfort him. She gently touched his arm. "it's okay. I'm okay." Doon sat there, motionless. He was processing all of this information.

"I just…" he said after a while, letting out a sigh that he had apparently been holding in, "I shouldn't have…"

"Harrow." Lina said. Doon's eyes were immediately locked with hers. "I said I'm fine. I forgive you. Let's turn a new leaf. I sort of…" she blushed slightly, "miss our old friendship. So what do you say?"

Doon wanted to say yes. More than anything, he wanted to tell her that he would be her friend again. He was so tempted by that simple three letter word. But then he remembered his promise. "No." he stood up abruptly and stalked off, leaving his food where it lay. Lina's eyes watched him.

"No…" Lina whispered. she had seen this before. It wasn't happening again. "Wait up!" she cried, chasing after him. Doon turned around and saw her running after him. He rolled his eyes and kept walking. He wasn't doing this. There was just no way. He _refused _to hurt her again.

Lina slowed her pace, panting behind him. "Go back to your friends." Doon warned.

"No." Doon stopped and turned around to look at her. Her head was looking down and her fists were clenched tightly.

"What?"

"No." Lina repeated, slowly looking up at him. Tears were in her eyes as she forced herself to continue speaking, "Why…?" her face was pained. Her heart was clearly on her sleeve at the moment. She was vulnerable. Doon's coldness softened a little.

"Why what?" he asked gruffly.

"Why do you dislike me _so much_?" She stepped closer to him.

"I-I don't." Doon admitted, forcing down the blush that was beginning to tingle in his cheeks.

"Then why are you always trying to scare me away?" a tear slid down her face. "Why don't you…" she couldn't speak. A lump was building in her throat and she had to do all she could to keep it down.

"I'm not trying to 'scare you away'." Doon said, stepping forward with a small step.

"Then…" she closed her eyes and drew in a shaky breath, "then why?"

"Why what?" he whispered. Lina's sudden braveness was evaporated just like that because of his tone. She asked the one thing that had been troubling her in a quiet, nearly inaudible voice.

"Why do you refuse to be my friend?" the weight of her question instantly made it very difficult for Lina to stand in front of Doon. Her eyes shot down to the ground. Who cared if people were watching? Who cared if their lunches were still sitting out on those picnic tables being neglected? Who cared? Lina did.

He shifted from one foot to the other nervously. Lina could tell that he was feeling awkward and uneasy as well. Finally, Doon made up his mind. "Lina," the sound of his voice saying her name made her heart skip a beat. She looked up at him. "I just…" his brown eyed gaze was boring into her. Lina felt almost as if he could see through to her soul. _Please…tell me… _"I don't want to hurt you again."

And there it was. The truth. Lina could tell that he was being honest. His gaze told her everything she needed to know. She could tell, just by looking into his eyes, everything that he was feeling. Guilt. Sadness. Fear. Hurt. Shame. She wanted to comfort him. Lina wanted to console him and hug him and tell him that everything was going to be alright. Her breath caught in her throat and her mouth became very dry. Her heartbeat sped up. "Y-you won't."

"You can't be too sure." Doon stepped forward. Lina's eyes were still brimming with tears. Fresh ones were starting to force the old ones out.

"Neither can you." Lina whispered. Doon didn't relinquish his gaze.

"You…" Doon stepped closer to her. Lina had to remind herself to remember to inhale and exhale. _Breathe…_ "you're right." Doon's body was mere inches from hers. His smoldering chocolaty brown-eyed stare was beginning to mesmerize her. She couldn't think straight. Lina could smell his cologne and feel his body heat slightly. She shivered. And it was not at all from the chilly breeze that just blew in between them.

She shook her head and came out of her reverie, breaking their intent gaze. She fumbled backwards a few steps and nearly tripped in the process. "S-so we're friends?" Lina stuttered awkwardly, surprised by the fact that she had retained the ability to string together a sentence, her face flushed bright red.

"Something like that." Doon chuckled. "Care to get back to our lunches now?"

"Yeah!" Lina said, wincing at her overly enthusiastic tone. Doon laughed softly and gripped her arm as she stumbled backwards again. She would've succeeded in actually falling if it weren't for his quick movements. His face was extremely close to hers. She could feel his warm breath on her face. Her blush darkened considerably and she straightened herself up quickly. "S-sorry." She apologized quickly, "Oh, and thanks." She offered him a small, shy smile.

Doon returned it with a smirk of his own and turned to walk across the courtyard. Lina just stood there like a dummy and watched him for a second. He looked at her over his shoulder, "You coming?" Lina laughed and nodded, following after him.


	10. Chapter 10: Phone Call

Lina had been spending quite a lot of time with Doon lately. He had quickly become one of her best friends again. He'd even hang out with her and her girlfriends every once in a while. She was surprised by how easily they'd accepted him; usually these things took lots of time. But, and Lina hated to admit it, he did have a few things going for him.

First and foremost were his handsome features. Any girl would easily swoon just looking at him with his deep, rich, chocolaty brown eyes and high cheekbones, brown shaggy hair, and tan complexion, not to mention his muscular build. Lina hated to admit it, but she was slightly captured by his looks. But that wasn't even everything.

Second, he had his charming personality. Now, he could definitely be a complete jerk, which was something Lina could easily attest to, but he could be nice if he wanted to be. He was humorous, silly, immature (some things never wear off), smart, witty, and sarcastic. Lina smiled at the thought. She was, indeed, as enchanted by the change in his personality as her friends were. They couldn't ever seem to stop talking about Doon. 'They', more specifically, was Lizzie.

Lina didn't understand what was up with her tall, over-dramatic friend these days. She was in a constant bubble of chatter of pure elation after every time she spoke to Doon. Could she possibly…? Lina didn't even want to think about it. Doon and Lizzie? Now that just wouldn't look right. Maybe it was just the jealousy talking…wait, what? Jealous? Lina? No, that couldn't be right.

But then again, any time that she saw Doon talking it up with other girls it always did make her skin crawl…She supposed that was about right. She wasn't exactly _jealous, _per say, or even really green with envy, but…there was definitely something there. Lina decided that it was just her being overprotective. Yes, that had to be it.

Lina pictured Doon's face. _This feeling…it isn't friendship… _She looked up at the ceiling of her room helplessly. _What is it?_

She'd always get butterflies when he said her name. _Lina… _His voice was the only one that could get her heart to race like that only by saying her name. She flipped over onto her stomach and buried her face deeply into her pillow.

_Do I…? Could this possibly be…_

There was only one explanation. Lina finally came to terms with the truth. Slowly, she peeled her face up from the pillow. "I need to call Doon." She whispered.

She leapt up and dashed across the room to grab her phone. As soon as her fingertips brushed up against it, her phone began ringing loudly. She jumped back, startled at first, and then recollected herself. She picked up the phone and looked at the caller I.D.

**Lizzie**. The name was flashing clearly on the screen. Lina hurriedly flipped the phone open and pressed the green button to answer. "Hello?" she breathed into the phone.

"Lina!" Lizzie's voice chirped from the other end.

"What's up?" Lina asked, flinging herself onto her bed and landing on her back softly.

"Nothing much." Lizzie replied nonchalantly. There was a mysterious air to her voice as she continued, "So, L, you know that my birthday is this Friday, right?"

"Of course, Liz! How could I forget?" Lina said, quirking an eyebrow. _What's going on…?_

"Well, I was thinking about my birthday party and…" She paused. Knowing Lizzie, Lina figured that it was for 'dramatic affect'. "I thought, 'Why not have a boy-girl party?'." Lina sighed, remembering the outcome of her last boy-girl party.

"Why…_that_?" Lina questioned.

"What?" Lizzie was obviously not catching Lina's drift. Lina rolled her eyes.

"Don't you remember what happened last time?"

"Of course, dear!" Lizzie laughed, "But that was a one-time thing. Plus, mine's not gonna be that big. I was just thinking of inviting you, Sarah, Betsy, Zoey, and Trish."

"But that's all girls." Lina pointed out, "If it's supposed to be a _boy_-girl party, you gotta have some boys."

"That's why I wanted to talk to you."

"Huh…?"

"Well, considering how close you guys are, could you maybe see if Doon will come?"

"But…" Lina was a little worried. Doon? At a boy-girl party? Where he was the only boy? The outlook didn't look so good. "That's only one boy, Lizzie. He might feel uncomfortable."

"I know that!" Lizzie exclaimed, "Which is why I was also planning on inviting a few others. You just handle him and I'll take care of the rest."

"I dunno, Lizzie…"

"Oh, c'mon!" Lizzie pleaded, "Do it for me!" Lina sat in silence for a moment, contemplating her options.

"Fine." She said after a while, giving in. "I'll talk to him."

"Oh, th-"

"Only," Lina interrupted, "as long as you don't try anything…_suggestive_…"

"Lina, Lina, Lina," Lizzie scoffed, "now when have you ever known me to do _that_?"

"Lizzie," Lina warned, "I'm serious."

"Okay, okay." Lizzie sighed, "Gee, you take all the fun out of everything."

"Li-"

"I was only kidding!" Lizzie defended herself.

"_Riiiiggght._"

"Listen, L, I'd love to keep chatting it up with you, but I gotta go." Lizzie said, "I've got more calls to make, y'know?"

"Sure, sure." Lina smiled. The phone call was finally over.

"Bye!" Lizzie called.

"Talk to you later." Lina responded, hanging up by slapping her phone shut. She needed to talk to Doon. Soon. Her phone chirped. She looked down to see who had texted her.

_Hey. You busy? _The text was from Doon.

_**Not really… **_

_Wanna hang out? _Lina thought about it for a moment. Lizzie's birthday party was still at the front of her mind. Finally, she allowed her fingers to graze over the buttons.

_**Sure. When? Where?**_

_Now, please. I'm at our old playground._

_**I know the one. **_Lina chuckled as she pictured Doon hanging around the play area they had outgrown. _**I'll be right there. **_

She traded the sweats and baggy T-shirt she had been wearing for a pair of brown knee length leggings, a short denim skirt, and a cream colored blouse with a spring-y flowery pattern on it in different hues of brown and green. Lina pulled her hair back into a ponytail and slipped into a pair of brown flats. She nodded once at her appearance in her mirror, slipping her phone into her pocket and dashed out of her room and down the stairs.

"Going somewhere?" Mrs. Murdo questioned as Lina was at the door, fiddling with the lock.

"Out." Lina replied absentmindedly, unlocking the door and opening it.

"Care to elaborate?" Mrs. Murdo pressed.

"Playground." Lina stepped out into the doorway and looked back. "Be back in a gif. Gotta go. Bye!" she firmly closed the door and took the stairs quickly, breaking out into a run down the sidewalk. _Am I really this desperate to see Doon…? _Lina turned the corner of the block and laughed to herself. _Yup. I suppose I am._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_What's Lizzie planning...? You'll just have to wait and see. And what's up with Lina? Why is the whole subject of 'Doon' such a big deal? I'm sure that it's not too hard to figure out her dirty little secret now... Please remember, reviews are love! If you don't tell me what you think after reading, I'll assume that you hate it! So...if you don't want me to think you hated this chappie or any other...review please! Also, you can't blame it on the fact that anonymous review are off, because they're not. So HA! in that case. Thanks again for reading! _

_What you can expect in the next chapter:_

_Doon and Lina talk at the park about the party...and perhaps other things...I'm not telling! I know, I'm so terrible... :) But if it weren't for the suspense, though, would you really stick around?_

_Arigato! :3_

_- Caitie Manda_


	11. Chapter 11: Park

**Author's Note**

_I know that these are usually at the end of my stories, but I have to give a quick shout-out to my newest reviewer._

_**Meggie cronwall**__: I hope that I have already taken care of that for you since you posted your review! I am really happy that you've enjoyed it so far. :)_

_To all of my readers:_

_Thank you for reading this story. I hope that I have satisfied you with it so far, although I must admit that the lack of reviews sort of throws my confidence…sorry, I know that you'd rather read the actual story than hear me blabbering. I hope that if you find the time after reading this chapter, you'd take a moment of your time to write a review. _

…_I hate how 'beggy' I sound. I don't mean to plead, but…oh, nevermind. I'm still chattering away. Enjoy chapter eleven!_

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><p>Lina slowed her pace as she came to the park. She remembered visiting here many times when she was younger. There were a lot of memories in this place; tag with Lizzie, hide-and-go seek with Betsy, swinging with Trish, hanging on the monkey-bars with Zoey, Frisbee with Sarah…even Doon had played with her here, back when they had been best friends in elementary. As she came over a small hill, the park came into view.<p>

It was averagely sized; it had a large swing set, equipped with about fifteen seats, a large slide, a few different jungle-gyms, a merry-go-round, and a climbing wall, and there was a chain link fence around it to prevent children from running into the street or getting into any other potential danger. Lina's eyes zeroed in on a brown haired teenager sitting on a swing, barely moving forward and back with his feet. She smiled, watching him for a moment. He had yet to notice her.

He was wearing a deep green, wordless T-shirt, dark blue wash jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes. The contented look on his face was enough to make Lina keep her distance. She didn't want to disturb him. She quietly opened the latch to the gate entrance and slipped inside, shutting it back. Lina walked over to a swing beside him and sat down. He didn't move a muscle.

Lina closed her eyes for a moment and let the quietness of their surroundings soak in. "Peaceful, isn't it?" Lina's eyes flashed over to Doon. He was watching her intently.

"Yeah," Lina replied, trying to coax her heart to slow back down, "it's nice and…still."

"This place isn't as crowded as it used to be." Doon mused.

"No," Lina agreed softly, "it's not."

Doon adopted a thoughtful look on his face as he looked up at the sky. "We used to come here all the time."

"I remember." Lina said with a smile. She waited a moment before continuing. "So, why did you want me to come?"

"Dunno." Doon said. "I guess I was bored sitting here alone."

"You looked pretty at ease when I walked up." Lina pointed out.

"That's because I was thinking about you." Lina felt a blush on her cheeks and tore her eyes from his face. She looked instead at her hands. "You look like something's troubling you. What's wrong?"

"Oh," Lina sighed. It was now or never. "Lizzie's having a boy-girl party soon, and she wanted to know if you were interested in going."

"Hmm…" Lina could feel his brown eyed gaze. "Are you?"

She turned and looked at him again. "Of course! She's my best friend. Why wouldn't I?" Her voice faltered at the end and she dropped her gaze once more. _What's wrong with me…?_

"Okay." Doon exhaled, "I'll go."

"Awesome." Lina muttered, softly enough that Doon couldn't hear. "Lizzie will be really happy to hear that." she said, a little louder.

"Wait." Doon said. The way he had spoken drew Lina's eyes to him once more. She met his eyes. "I'm only going if you are."

"Well, I already told you that I was…"

"Then it's settled." Doon said coolly. "We're both going."

"Yep." Lina let out a quiet laugh.

"Is something else wrong?" Doon inquired, his eyes clouded with concern.

Lina's shoes suddenly became extremely interesting. _Oh, you know, I'm just in love with you. _Her eyes went wide. _WHAT? _"N-not really." Her voice was slightly shaking.

"Uh-huh." Lina could just picture Doon narrowing his eyes at her.

"Really!" She denied, although her voice came out as a whisper. Doon let out a sigh but didn't pressure her into saying anything more. Lina felt extremely awkward. She came up with a solution to end it – leave. Of course, luck was never on her side.

Lina stood up, still looking down, and started walking away. She heard the tinkling sound of the little chains on the swing as Doon stood too, and she felt his hand on her wrist. She turned around to look at him.

"You can tell me, you know." Doon whispered.

Lina gulped. His eyes were so intensely focused on her, and yet they still looked soft… "I-I know." Doon's eyes slowly looked her over, all the way down to her shoes and back up to her eyes once more. He nodded once, and reluctantly released his hold on her. Lina instantly missed the warmth, but she ignored the thought. "I need to go."

"I do too," Doon agreed, "so…"

"See you at school?" Lina asked.

"Yeah," Doon's voice was soft, "see you at school." Lina laughed and turned around, walking away. She was barely five feet away when Doon's voice reached her yet again.

"Lina!" She turned to look at him.

"Hmm?"

"Do you want me to drive you home? Your house is like eight or ten blocks away."

Lina's lips were graced with a growing smile. "Yeah," she said, "I'd like that."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_So…what did you think? I thought that this chapter let you see into their friendship a little bit, while also conveying Lina's feelings towards him. The whole 'party' thing really has Lina shaken up, doesn't it? Why is she so paranoid? You'll just have to wait and see. Oh, and the next chapter is going to be from Lizzie's point of view, so I'll call the chapter 'Lizzie'. It'll be pretty interesting to see what's going on in her head…_

_I've had a lot of free time on my hands lately because it's summer vacation, so I've been like a chapter-writing fiend. :)_

_Currently, the only other thing I've been working on is my book…and no, I am sorry to inform you that it will not be published on Fiction Press...I guess you could say that I'm paranoid. It's already to about 70ish pages, and I've been working on it since Feb. Well, that's about it. Time to start on chapter 17 for that and chapter 12 for this! I'll have the next chapter up in a little bit. Until then…please review! _

_Arigato! :3_

_-Caitie Manda_


	12. Chapter 12: Lizzie

Enter Lizzie Anne Bisco, a fiery redhead with a firecracker personality. She says things you normally wouldn't say in public, speaks her mind, and watches out for her friends with a sharp eagle's eye. When it comes to Lizzie, no one crosses her. You never want to get on her bad side, or things could get really bad really fast for you. But, despite all of this, she is actually a very affectionate and loyal friend who will go out of her way to make sure you feel appreciated.

No, Lizzie is not self-centered. She may already know that she's beautiful and irresistible, but never, ever is she absorbed in herself. In fact, she usually wants to talk about you. Okay, so _maybe _sometimes she might talk about herself, but who doesn't? Anyway, she doesn't care to talk too much about herself, as you can already tell. The last personality trait that comes into play here is confidence. Let's hope that her self-confidence and pride will allow her to keep her dignity and her friends as she does the impossible. Can Lizzie do it? She can only hope.

* * *

><p>I sit in the bleachers surrounding the soccer field, my red hair straightened to sleek, shiny perfection. It curls slightly at the ends, but at least it isn't the curly mess I usually wake up with. My bright green eyes are focused on the field. The boys' soccer team is practicing for their game on Saturday.<p>

They split up into two teams, one wearing red jerseys over their shirts and the other wearing blue, and go to opposite ends of the turf. A goalie stands in front of each goal, moving back and forth in their crouched position, patiently waiting for the game to start. The boys in the center of the field exchange a few words before the game starts, though I don't know what. I shrug; it's not like it really matters, right? The coach blows the whistle and they're off. The ball is instantly taken to the right side of the field, the boys on the blue team passing it around as they make their way across the grass. Dirt and pieces of grass are stirred up beneath their cleats as they race across the field.

One of the boys from the red team intercepts a pass and successfully brings it back across the field to the other end where the blue goalie stands. Some wind blows from behind me and blows my hair in my face. I tuck it back behind my ears and continue to watch. Goal! The red team has a point. The first to five wins the scrimmage.

The ball races down to the opposite end now, and the blue team shoots for the goal. Oh! The red goalie blocks it with preciseness and skill. I shake my head, chuckling to myself as I watch the blue team glare at him with determined looks on their faces. The goalie sends them a teasing smirk that clearly meant, 'Just try it'. I was now fully attentive to this goalie.

He was handsome, with dark hair, icy blue eyes, straight white teeth, and an award-winning smile. He was tall, too, probably around six foot three. I wanted to know who he was. I make a mental note to invite him to my party. He seems interesting. I continue to study him until he begins to walk across the field. My eyes follow him curiously.

I had been so busy admiring the red team's goalie that I hadn't realized that the game was over. The score was five to four, so the red team took the win. The goalie walks among the rest of the guys with a confident swagger, giving out high-fives to all of his teammates and the blue team. I smile. This boy is extremely interesting. I pick up my shoulder bag, which only has my phone and a few books inside of it, and toss it over my shoulder, and march out onto the field.

Practice was over, so I could mingle with all the boys now. The lean, muscular boys all have towels in their hands or around their necks as they wipe the sweat off. Their skin glitters with a fine sheen of moisture from playing, and their chests rise up and down at an almost steady pace. They are almost all sitting around drinking Gatorades and bottles of water by the time I walk up. "Hello," I say, giving them one of my flirty smiles.

"What brings you here?" one of the boys asks.

"Oh, you know," I toss some hair over my shoulder, "I just couldn't miss a good soccer practice. That scrimmage today seemed pretty brutal." I can see a few of the boys openly checking me out, while others look me up and down a little more discreetly.

"Nah," the icy blue eyed boy says, laying back on the bench, "it was actually an easy win."

"Of course." I agree, looking around at all the boys. They are all not bad to the eyes, but I see that none of them have anything on the red team's cute goalie. "So, what's your name?"

"Tick Hassler." He replies, a smirk on his face. "And you?"

"Lizzie Bisco." I say, watching Tick with intent eyes.

"Lizzie?" He repeats me, his eyes holding a steady gaze. I nod, a smirk on my own face.

"Remember that, will you?" I say, "I want to make sure that you'll be able to dream peacefully tonight now that you've finally met me."

"Really?" Tick laughs, sitting up a little, "I think you'd be the one dreaming about me. I bet that you've been checking me out all practice."

I hold the blush down, knowing that it was indeed true, but I stand firm on the outside. "On the contrary, Tick," I smiled, "I actually had my eyes on someone…_else_…"

His gaze falters, but only for a minute. "Oh? Who?"

"You would like to know, wouldn't you?" I tease, "No, I think I'll just let you think about it." I turned to look at all the boys. "So, this Friday I'm having a party. Anyone who wants to come is welcome. There'll be drinks and food and games provided." I took a breath and spoke in a low voice, "And no alcoholic beverages, please." A chorus of groans rings through the group.

"Why not?" one boy asks.

"I'll tell you." I lowered my voice even more so that the boys had to draw around me much closer. "I want to make sure that you aren't drunk whenever I decide to…" I trail off, allowing the boys to add whatever they want to the end. The team murmurs and chats amongst themselves.

"I'll be there." Tick says, his voice cutting through the chatter. Everyone turns to him and then to me. I smile.

"See you then." I turn on my heel, leaving the boys to themselves. I figured that they'd all show up after my little display. It really stinks, doesn't it? I lead them all on like that and not one will get anything from me. "Tsk, tsk, tsk." I click my tongue as I reach the edge of the bleachers. I turn to look briefly over my shoulder and see all of the boys staring after me. I smirk and keep walking.

Yes, my birthday was going to be on Friday, but I was having the party for a completely different reason than what everyone thought. I was having it for Lina. She didn't know that, of course, and I didn't want her to think I was doing her a favor because she would never go if I told her. Why else would I ask her to invite Doon? I could've asked him myself, but I knew that he'd go only if Lina asked.

I wasn't blind, as she probably thought I was. You see, when you're friends with someone for as long as we've been, you start to notice the little things. For example, I could tell that she was head-over-heels for Doon. Like, over the moon in love with him. I knew she was ever since I first saw them together in Kindergarten. All that time that they spent apart from fifth grade up until just recently was starting to really get to her. She was in a depression for at least two or three years. She wouldn't eat, would hardly talk, wouldn't smile, and certainly wouldn't laugh. The thought sent shivers down my spine. Of course, when her dad died it only dug her hole deeper.

She needed a little push; some encouragement, if you want to call it that. I was more than willing to offer it to her. So, over the past few weeks, I've done my best to be all 'flirty-flirty' with Doon and talk about him as bubbly and elated as I can. It kills her every time I do it, but I know what I'm doing. The jealousy is only driving her closer to admitting her feelings to him. If there was anything that I was good at, it was helping my friends.

I unlock my car and slide into the driver's seat with a smirk. My party was going to rock. I plug the key into the ignition and the car's engine springs to life. Lina was going to end up with Doon sooner or later, right? I pull out of my parking place and onto the road. My smirk grows into an ear-to-ear smile. Why not speed up the process?

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_I know it's been a few days, but you wouldn't believe how busy I've been! It's exhausting really. I had some company over because of the holiday and we all celebrated Father's Day together. As soon as everyone was gone, I was up to my room to write! Now that school's out, despite my dad's complaining, I will try my best to be dedicated to my writing. Thank you for reading! Reviews are love!_

_Now, I'd like to give a special shout-out to a very important person. __**Leafysummers**__, I would like to thank you so, so much for your reviews and your encouragement. I really needed it. I'm really glad that you've enjoyed the story so far and I hope that you'll continue to keep sending me your wonderful reviews. :)_

_Thank you so much!_

_-Caitie Manda_


	13. Chapter 13: Lizzie's Party

The rest of the week sped by quickly. Before Lina knew it, it was Friday. Lizzie's party was the talk of the school all week, and random people came up to Lina asking if she could get them in. She was almost ready to bail on Lizzie and the party altogether, but she had to go. She'd promised Doon she would.

Lina sat in her car and stared at Lizzie's house. "I can't do this." She repeated for the millionth time, "I really can't do this." She took a few deep breaths and looked at her outfit. It consisted of a pair of extremely short shorts, a tight fitting salmon colored V-neck T-shirt, and white sandals. Lizzie had bought the outfit for Lina specifically for the party. "I look so stupid…"

Someone knocked on her window. She jumped at the sound and looked through the window. Doon was standing there, a smirk on his face. Lina rolled her eyes and rolled down the window. "Why are you just sitting here?" he asked.

"Have you _seen _my outfit?" Lina questioned incredulously, "Lizzie forced me to wear these skimpy clothes." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I can't go in like this."

"Oh, come on." Doon coaxed, "I'm sure it's not that bad." Lina gave him a look and took her keys from the ignition, killing the engine. She stepped out of the car with her hands on her hips and stared at him with an 'are you happy now?' expression plastered on her face.

"See? What did I tell you! I can't be seen in there like this." Lina turned back to her car, but Doon got in her way. She looked up to shoot a glare at him. "Move."

"You're already out of the car," Doon pointed out, "so why not just go inside and see what it's like, at least." Lina knew this was a fight she couldn't win. She sighed resignedly and crossed her arms over her chest.  
>"Fine." She spun on her heels and walked towards the front door, Doon trailing behind her.<p>

"You ready for this?" Doon inquired as they stared at the door.

"As I'll ever be." Lina mumbled.

"Let's go, then." Doon reached out and opened the door, leading the way inside. The house was packed; there were at least one hundred people inside. Who knew that sober teenagers could have so much fun?

"Lina!" a voice yelled over the music. Lina's head snapped around just in time to see a red flame bobbing through the crowd. Her best friend Lizzie emerged a few moments later, dressed in a similar outfit. "I didn't think you'd actually come!"

"Neither did I." she mumbled, quietly enough that Lizzie couldn't hear.

"Let's have some fun!" Lizzie shouted to Lina, grabbing her wrist and tugging her into the throng of teenagers. Lina gave Doon an apologetic look and he shrugged. The red head pulled her friend all the way down the hall to her bedroom and opened the door. Even after they were both inside with the door shut, the girls could still hear the music and feel the vibrations from the deep bass sound in the background. "Sorry about that." Lizzie said, plopping down backwards on her bed and staring up at the ceiling.

"It's okay." Lina laughed, sitting in one of Lizzie's pink beanbag chairs. "I kinda figured that your party would be packed."

"Even though I set a no-alcohol rule." Lizzie agreed, smiling. She rolled onto her side and propped her elbow on the bed, resting her head on her fist. "How's everything going?"

"What exactly does 'everything' include?" Lina joked. "Everything's great. How about with you? Who's your new boy toy these days?"

"Things are going well for me, too." Lizzie smiled wider. "Boy toy, huh? Don't have one at the moment. Maybe I will by the end of the night, though…" Both girls burst out laughing.

"You know," Lina leaned forward a little, "I think people have started to wonder where their amazingly gorgeous hostess went by now."

"I don't think so." Lizzie replied.

"Why?"

"I'm sure that everyone's not gonna be hanging off my arm all night." Lizzie shrugged.

"I guess." Lina leaned back in the beanbag and sank in a little.

"Well," Lizzie said, "I can see that you want to get back out there, so c'mon. Let's go!" She jumped up and grabbed Lina's hand, yanking her off the beanbag.

"L-Lizzie," Lina said frantically as she was being dragged to the door, "th-that's not what I meant." Lizzie opened the door and shoved Lina out into the hallway. "Lizzie!"

"Lina," Lizzie said tirelessly with a mock-scolding expression, "you gotta learn to let go a little. Besides, I'm about to shut the strangers down. This party is about to downsize." Lizzie tugged Lina into the living room and up onto the stage that was set up at the front of the room. Lizzie cleared her throat at the microphone and a few people turned to look at her. "Attention." Lizzie said. When no one listened, she went over to the music, unplugged it and went back to the mic. "ATTENTION!"

Everyone turned this time, and a chorus of groans rippled through the crowd. "Hey! Who turned off the music?" someone shouted.

"That's better." Lizzie smiled, looking out at everyone. "This party's been great, everyone. It was a nice, two hour long dance party. Now," she dropped the smile. "you can leave. Thank you! Hope you all have a safe drive home!" No one moved.

"Is she serious?" someone whispered. Lina rolled her eyes and stepped up to the mic.

"Are you people deaf?" She questioned, glaring at the crowd. "Lizzie told you people to get out of her house, so go!" There was lots of shuffling and mumbling as people began to exit the building. Cars started up outside and teenagers drove away. "That's more like it." Lina smiled. Once the crowd had dissipated, the only people left in the building were Lina, Lizzie, Doon, Tick, and one of his friends from the soccer team.

"Great job!" Tick laughed, applauding Lina. Her blood ran cold at the sound of his voice.

"T-Tick?" her voice was incredibly quiet even with the microphone in her face.

He looked up at her with a curious expression. Lina shrunk away from him. "What's up, princess?"

"Lizzie," Lina hissed, "you invited _him_?" she pointed at the dark haired teenager walking towards them.

"Of course!" Lizzie exclaimed, "Have you _seen _him? He's H-O-T-T hot!"

"Lizzie, you don't understand." Lina whispered, cowering behind her friend.

"Lina, what's wrong with you?" Lizzie asked, worried. Lina whispered something in her ear. "OH!" she turned and looked at Tick. "C'mon, Lina. He was drunk and he obviously doesn't remember a thing from that night."

"I-I guess…" Lina pulled away from Lizzie and stood beside her. She turned to her friend to lock gazed for a moment. "But if he tries _anything_, I'm outta here."

"He won't." Lizzie assured her friend.

"You girls okay?" Tick asked from a distance.

"Y-yeah, everything is A-OK!" Lina answered, a little too enthusiastically. Tick chuckled and held up a glass coke bottle.

"Anyone wanna play?"

"Spin the bottle?" Lina questioned. "Isn't that a game for, like, middle schoolers?"

"Yup." Tick nodded, smirking.

"Okay!" Lizzie interjected, "Let's get the other boys and play!" She grabbed Lina's hand and ran out of the room. Once they'd located Doon and the other boy, who they learned was named Anthony, the five adolescents relocated to the basement and sat in a circle.

"Who's first?" Tick asked, setting the bottle on the floor.

"I'll go. It _is _my birthday today." Lizzie replied. She grabbed the bottle and gave it a good spin. As it spun around, Lina observed the order in which they sat. Lizzie sat at Lina's right and Doon at her left, Tick was on Lizzie's right, and Anthony was between Tick and Doon. Anthony was actually a pretty nice guy. He had sandy blonde hair, grey-blue eyes, high cheekbones in his face, and a relatively muscular figure. Lina looked down just in time to see who the bottle had landed on. Her eyes widened in horror. Doon.

She could feel him scoot back just a little bit. "Looks like you have to kiss Doon, Lizzie." Anthony teased. Lizzie shrugged and scooted forward, giving Doon a quick peck on the lips. Lina went positively green with envy, but she held it down.

"Your turn, Doon." Lizzie said. Doon nodded, his skin still white as a sheet, and spun the bottle. Lina watched it spin round and round, her heart rate speeding up every time the mouth of the bottle passed her. The bottle slowed itself to a stop. Lina's face turned fifty shades redder. It landed on her. She looked at Doon, and his cheeks had a light tinge of pink.

"Ooo!" Lizzie squealed, "You have to kiss Lina!" Lina's breath caught in her throat. It was just a silly little kiss, right?

Doon leaned forward and whispered softly enough for only Lina to hear, "Sorry." Lina leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. His lips were soft and warm against her own, and she wanted the moment to never end. Before it had the chance to evolve or anything, Doon pulled away. Lina slowly came back down to earth. She had just kissed Doon. Best night _ever_.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_I would've written yesterday, but I wasn't feeling very productive. Every time I pulled out my laptop, I just couldn't write anything. But today, I was bursting with ideas! It's so exciting! Sorry I didn't post sooner. I've been sort of busy lately. I'll try to post at least a chapter a day, if that's possible. Sorry again for the delay!_

_So what did you think? Lina kissed Doon! It meant something to her, but the question is: did it mean anything to Doon? You'll have to wait to find out…_

_Thank you for reading! Review please. :)_

_-Caitie Manda_


	14. Chapter 14: Threat

Monday came back around too fast for Lina's liking. She wasn't ready to face Doon just yet after…well…that. You know, the moment when his lips brushed hers? His _lips_…

Lina face planted. There was absolutely _no _way she could go to school. She'd lose it in front of him. She groaned in frustration and forced herself to be brave. She couldn't keep ignoring him forever. Her phone chirped. She looked at it and her heart stopped for a moment. It was Doon.

_Hey. Did I do something to make you mad? You've been ignoring my messages all weekend. Is something wrong?_

Lina let out a few breathless, hysterical giggles. So he noticed…

_**No, nothing's wrong. I'm sorry. I've just…**_

She didn't know how to finish it. The little black bar blinked at her. Since she had nothing else to say, she hit send. She received a reply a few seconds later.

_You've just...what?_

_**I dunno…it's complicated.**_

_I've got time._

I've got time. Three little words. I've got time. Lina knew he meant it. He was genuinely worried about her and wanted to know why she had been acting weird. But she couldn't tell him. Not yet.

_**Look…It's almost time for school. Maybe…maybe we can talk there.**_

She sighed when there was no response after a few minutes, so she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She was out the door and inside her car in less than five minutes. She was ready to leave but anxious to go. Lina felt like her whole life was like that nowadays. Everything was a contradiction.

She plugged the keys into the ignition and started the car. As she pulled out of her parking place in the driveway, her text tone played its few little chiming notes.

_Okay. See you._

He was upset. Lina should have known he would be. She would've been, too. No, that wasn't true. She was upset, too. Maybe for the same reason, maybe for a different one. _"Oh…today's gonna be so awkward…" _she thought warily as she pulled up to the school.

Doon appeared around the corner with a single backpack strap on his shoulder. Lina stepped out of the car and her heartbeat sped up at a pace of ninety to nothing. He looked at her for a long moment and turned away. Was that…was that a hint of blush on his cheeks? Lina shook her head. _"Of course not." _A few girls hurried past Lina to catch up to Doon. Lina looked away.

She began walking down the paved cement walkway. She felt a weird feeling. _"Something's not right here…" _Her head whipped from side to side quickly to see what the problem was. Lina had the feeling that someone was staring at her. Watching her. Right on cue, a long fingered hand with red manicured fingernails wrapped around her arm. Lina wrenched her arm, attempting to get out of the girl's grip, but it was useless.

She looked to see who the girl was. The girl was familiar. She had beautiful straight, long blonde hair, a curvy, lean figure, and dazzling blue eyes. The girl was gorgeous. "Who are you?" Lina asked. The girl turned to glare at her and tugged her harder, her grip tightening. Lina was pulled into an empty classroom and the girl shut and locked the door before letting her go. Lina stumbled back a little bit but regained her balance.

"Well?" the girl said, crossing her arms over her chest, her pretty little face twisted into anger.

"What?" Lina asked, confused.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" The girl sneered, a scowl on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Lina said slowly, backing up slightly.

"Don't play dumb." The girl snapped. "You and Doon. I can tell what's going on."

"Whatever that is…" Lina muttered. The girl glared again.

"I'm warning you right now," the girl marched over to stand right in front of Lina so that she could fixate her with an intimidating stare. "you better stay away from him or else. Doon is _mine_. Do you hear me?"

"Wh-what…?" Lina stammered, her voice faltering. _"What is this girl talking about?" _

"You heard me." She hissed. "Back off, Mayfleet."

Lina took a moment to gather her bearings before realizing what this girl was trying to do. Lina took a step forward and gave the girl the most defiant glare she could muster. "Who do you think you are?" Lina asked angrily, "You whisk me out of the courtyard and into a deserted classroom to _threaten _me? How dare you! Oh, and I don't recall seeing _your _name on Doon!"

"Like you'd know." The girl snickered. "Boy, you're really out of it, aren't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Lina fought to keep her voice steady.

"Doon and me. We were a _couple _for four whole years! He really must not trust you if he never told you about such a silly little thing like _that_."

"Huh?" Lina blinked a couple of times. What was she rambling on about now?

"Doon. Me. Together." The girl rolled her eyes. "Do I need to spell it out for you? We were _together_."

Lina was taken aback. Together…as in… "So what? You were a couple. Big deal."

"It is a big deal, Lina. Doon isn't as innocent as he's trying to get you to believe." She tossed some blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Whatever." Lina fixed her backpack strap on her shoulder. "This is getting boring. Can I go now?"

"Uh, no!" the girl exclaimed, pushing Lina. Hard. Lina fell into a desk and onto the ground. "I wasn't finished yet."

"Look." Lina stood up and brushed herself off, pretending that her back wasn't hurting. "I get it, okay? Stay away from Doon. Got it." She pushed past the girl and unlocked the door. As soon as she was out of the classroom, she ran to the nearest girls' bathroom and darted into one of the stalls, crumpling up onto the floor to cry. What had she done to deserve this? Everything was going great, but now…

The door opened and closed and Lina quickly sat up as she saw someone's shoes shuffling inside. "Lina?" a familiar voice called. "Are you still in here?" Lina sighed with relief and ran out of the stall.

She stood in front of her friend and wiped her eyes. "Right here." She sniffled. The brown-haired girl in front of her stared at her with wide brown eyes.

"What happened to you?" Betsy questioned.

"Everything." Lina collapsed into Betsy's arms and cried. Betsy rubbed her hand up and down Lina's back comfortingly. Lina winced and backed away.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" Betsy asked worriedly. Lina shook her head and turned around, lifting her shirt up.

"Holy…" Betsy whispered. "Lina! Your back is bruised! Who did this to you?" Lina put her shirt back down and turned to face her, shaking her head miserably.

"I don't know. I didn't get her name."

"Describe her." Betsy pushed.

"Uh…" Lina ran her hands across her face to rub off some fresh tears. She sniffed a few times before taking a shaky breath. "Tall, blonde, blue eyes, red fingernails." Betsy looked thoughtful for a moment and then narrowed her eyes.

"Ashley West." She spat out the name angrily. "I hate that dumb bitch." Lina's eyes widened. Betsy _never _swore. Ever.

"Why?"

"She's always been so…" Betsy searched for the right word, "you know. She's one of _those _girls." Lina nodded her head knowingly. "She's got balls to just flat out attack you like that. Did she say anything to you?"

Lina's head dropped. "She told me to stay away from Doon." She paused for a moment and continued in a deadly whisper, "Or _else_."

Betsy laughed. "Or else what? She'll spread rumors about you? That Ashley really is crazy."

Lina looked back up at her friend. "Betsy," she said seriously, "I don't think she was joking."

Betsy nodded. "I know." She stepped closer and lowered her voice. "But if Ashley ever lays a single manicured finger on you again, you'd better tell me." She wiggled her eyebrows and flashed a devious smirk. Lina laughed and went to the mirror to fix her makeup. Once she was all fixed up and the red and puffiness of her eyes had gone down, she and Betsy left the bathroom.

Doon was in the hallway with some of his fangirls surrounding him. One of them, Lina noticed instantly, was Ashley. Ashley saw Lina and stuck her tongue out at her before twirling her hair and trying to be all flirty with Doon. Lina felt like she was going to puke. Betsy just rolled her eyes. "Ignore them." Betsy whispered into Lina's ear. They quickened their pace and stopped by their lockers.

Lina turned the dial a few times until her locker door unlocked, and then she opened it and shoved her bag in. She reached in and grabbed her supplies for her first period class, which consisted of a textbook, blue notebook, and a blue binder, and slammed the locker door shut. Betsy was doing the same a few lockers down. She came up and put a hand on Lina's shoulder. "Are you sure you can handle this? I don't have first period with you."

"Yeah, I think so." Lina replied.

"But…" Betsy gave her a sympathetic look, "_she _is in your class."

"I know." Lina sighed. "I'll deal."

"Okay." Betsy said, reluctantly removing her hand. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Lina turned away and walked down the hallway to the math classroom. "I'll need it." She muttered.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_Hey, all! Sorry it's been a while. Well, a few days. It's been pretty hectic, you know? I have a summer assignment for Advanced English next year that I still haven't finished yet (I have to read two books and write a report) and have had non-stop plans with my family for the last few days. My writing's been a little off lately, so I haven't really been able to write any chapters for anything. I still think it's not all that great at the moment, but I guess you'll be the judge of that…_

_I hope you liked this chapter. I thought that something like this should happen over the next few chapters, so it did! I have lots of plans for this 'Ashley' character. She's extremely…interesting. I think one of the next few chapters will be from her point of view, but no promises._

_You'll have to wait and see how things turn out! Review please. :)_

_-Caitie Manda_


	15. Chapter 15: Crash and Burn

Lina stepped into her classroom and slid into her seat. "What's got you all stressed?" Lizzie asked from the seat beside her. Lina turned her head to give Lizzie a tired look.

"Anything and everything." Lina replied.

"Ah." Lina faced forward again, nodding her agreement. "Boy problems?" Lizzie inquired after a while.

Lina chuckled. "You have _no idea_."

"Doon?" Lizzie continued.

"Mostly." Lina sighed.

"What happened?" Lizzie questioned. Lina explained her whole morning to Lizzie quickly before the bulk of the class came into the classroom. "That b-"

"Speak of the devil." Lina mumbled as a certain blonde-haired, blue eyed witch entered the room. Lizzie glared at her for Lina, who was currently busy keeping herself from looking at Doon who had just entered the room.

"Sit by me." Ashley called from where she was perched on her desk. She gestured to the one beside her. Doon rolled his eyes and sat by Lina instead.

"What's up with Ashley?" He asked as he slid into his seat.

"Doon," Lina murmured, leaning over to him, "I'm not supposed to talk to you."

"Why?" Doon inquired, curiosity brightening his eyes. She was about to reply when Ashley made her way over.

"Doon, why don't you move away from these…" she made a disgusted face at Lina, "_girls_, and sit by me?"

"I'd rather not." Doon muttered. Lina snickered. Ashley glared daggers at Lina who smiled brightly in return. Ashley frowned and shoved one of Lina's books off her desk while Doon wasn't looking.

"Oops!" Ashley feigned surprise, "So sorry. Could you get that, Lina?" Lina walked around her desk and bent over to get the book. She stood up and put it on her desk. "Good!" Ashley clapped Lina hard on her lower back and Lina winced. _"Please say Doon didn't notice…"_

She sat down carefully, her back still extremely sore. "Lina," Doon said, "are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," Lina responded through gritted teeth as she leaned against her chair, "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." Doon raised an eyebrow. "What's bothering you?"

"Doon." Lina said in a warning tone, "Drop it, okay?" She stood up with her dull-tipped pencil in her hand. "I need to sharpen my pencil." She mumbled, making her way to the sharpener. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ashley whispering into some guy's ear while glancing at Lina. Lizzie and Doon were oddly quiet. Lina shook her head and began making her way back to her seat when a foot jutted out into the aisle way. Not quick enough to see it, Lina tripped over it and fell, hard, onto her stomach.

"Whoops!" Lina looked up with a pained expression on her face to see that boy that Ashley had been talking to. "My foot must've slipped." He shrugged and went back to his work. Doon ran over as soon as he saw her falling.

"Lina, are you-" his eyes took in the part of her back where her shirt had slipped up and the purple and blue that bloomed across her flesh. "Oh my god…" he helped her up. "Who did this to you?" he demanded.

"Did what?" Lina asked, hurriedly pulling her shirt down, wincing. _He so noticed._

"What happened to your back?" Lina could tell that he was trying hard to keep his anger in check.

"I…" Ashley's words drifted through her mind. _Or else. _"I f-fell." She stammered.

"I don't think so." Doon stepped forward and took hold of her shoulders. "Who did this to you?"

Lina lowered her head. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?"  
>"The…the…" her voice was barely audible. "the 'or else'." She squeaked.<p>

"The _what_?" Doon asked incredulously. Lina grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the classroom and into the hallway.

"Look, all I can tell you is that I was pushed, okay? No big deal. The bruises will get better and I'll be fine." Lina tried to give him a reassuring smile but it faltered as she took in the look on his face. His expression was pained.

"Why can't you tell me?" His voice was dangerously low.

"I-It's about you." Lina told him.

"What. Happened?" He clipped each word. Lina was getting frustrated with him. Why couldn't he just understand that he had to back off?

"I was _threatened_, alright? Pulled into a classroom, told to _keep the hell away from you_, and pushed into a desk! Happy now?" Lina glared at the floor.

"No," Doon whispered, "I'm not."

"Why? I told you what you wanted to know." Lina snapped.

"You got hurt." His voice was nearly inaudible. "I-I broke my promise." Lina looked up. That was not where she wanted this to go _at all_.

"No, Doon, it's not like that." Lina stepped closer to him to comfort him. He stepped back.

"I'm sorry, Lina." He said, his eyes fixated on the floor. "I did this to you. I was the cause of this."

"No, you weren't. That crazy psycho was the cause!" Lina exclaimed. He was _not _going to do this! _Not now…! _Lina took a step forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. Doon shook it off and backed up some more. His back hit the lockers. "Doon, you need to calm down." Lina said softly.

"No, no, no." Doon's voice was hysterical now. "I didn't want this…" Lina took steady steps towards him and touched her palm to his face. He froze.

"You didn't break your promise." She whispered, putting her other hand to his other cheek. She pulled his face down and pressed her lips to his. Doon gingerly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Lina's arms wound themselves around his neck and she pulled herself to him. The kiss deepened, and they both responded. After what seemed like an eternity, they pulled apart and rested their foreheads against each other. "We should probably get to class." Lina said breathlessly.

"Yeah, probably." Doon agreed, his voice just as winded. Lina leaned forward and gave him a final kiss before interlacing her fingers in his and pulling him back to the classroom.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_Well, I'm really exhausted so I think I'm going to go to sleep now. I just couldn't leave you hanging with that chapter as it was! I might post tomorrow, I might not. It all depends on how clear my schedule is. _

_I do have a question though...do you think I made them get together too quickly? I didn't really want to rush things, but...I don't know. The characters weren't really speaking to me in this chapter a whole lot. Ashley's character was, and Lina's was in parts, too. When she kissed Doon, you do realize what she was doing right? Shutting him up! Ha! Smart girl... ;)_

_Considering the fact that it's 2:00 am, I think I'm ready to call it a night right about now. Goodnight, all!_

_-Caitie Manda_


	16. Chapter 16: Doon's Second Interlude

Lina grabs my hand and pulls me back into the classroom. I slide into my seat next to her, ducking my head low to hide the blush on my cheeks. I suspect that Lina is doing the same. Throughout the whole class, I can feel a sort of awkwardness growing between us, that amounts into a painful silence. When the bell rings, _finally_, at the end of the class, I gather my things and leave in a whirl. I had never felt so thankful for that bell in my life until now!

* * *

><p>Everyone at our table were chattering away as usual. No big deal for them. I mean, they didn't know about that kiss, did they? I don't think so. Lina was silent. I ate my food quietly and quickly. I wanted to get away from that table full of her friends as fast as humanly possible. Lizzie turns to me. "So, Doon, what do you think?" I blink a few times and swallow my bite of sandwich.<p>

"About what?" I ask. I hadn't been paying attention _at all_. Lizzie rolls her eyes.

"About that new action movie!" she exclaims.

"Oh…" she _did _know there were a lot of those out recently, didn't she? "it looks cool."

"See?" Lizzie smiles while turning back to Trish, who she had apparently been conversing with before she talked to me. I returned my attention to my thoughts and my sandwich.

"Doon?" Lina whispers. I turn to her and see her staring at me timidly. "Can we talk?" Oh boy.

"Sure." I answer. What did she want to talk about? Oh, right. _That. _

"Great." She flashes a hesitant smile and stands up, waiting for me to join her. "Guys, we'll be right back, okay?" The girls nod, curious and questioning, but keep their thoughts to themselves. Lina leads the way, which I was glad for. _This is bad. This is really, really bad._ I nearly bump into her before I realize that we're standing beneath the tree she was talking about earlier. She looks down at her shoes. "Listen," she says after a few moments, "we have to talk about that kiss."

"It was nothing, I get it." I sigh. This'll be over sooner than I thought.

"No, that's not it." Lina looks up at me and I see that her cheeks are faintly flushed. I try my hardest to keep my heart rate steady. "Are we…a couple now?"

My breath hitches. I take a few deep breaths to calm myself down. "Lina," I gulp. This is a really hard thing to say. "I think we should pretend this didn't happen."

"You're right." She mumbles, looking back down. I release a breath that I had no idea I had been holding. Why do I feel like my heart is breaking? She looks back up at me with a smile. I have no idea what she's thinking. "Look, maybe…" she takes a deep breath. Obviously this is important to her. "Maybe we should stay away from each other for a while. See new people, you know? Just try to…"

"Go back to how things used to be?" I offer. Her smile falters for a fleeting moment and my heart stops. Yes, this is what she was proposing.

"Yeah." She whispers. Her eyes look like they're starting to water. She looks down for a moment and breathes deeply. When she looks back up, her eyes are clear. Maybe it was my imagination…? "Let's start right after lunch."

I finally will myself to look away from her. I can't take this. This…this doesn't feel…right. I feel sick. I want to go home and get away from it all and bury myself underneath the covers on my bed and never come back out. I force my vocal chords to work. "Sounds great."

"Great." Her voice sounds disappointed. I want to take her in my arms and tell her that it will all be fine. But it won't be fine. Not without Lina… "See you around." She whispers faintly. I look up just in time to see her walk away. I fight away the tears that I can feel stinging my eyes.

"See you…" I murmur. My heart is breaking into millions of tiny pieces. Lina, is this…is this what you want?

* * *

><p>The next few weeks were like living in hell on earth. I couldn't do a single damned thing without Lina popping into my head. Her eyes, her hair, her laugh, her smile…okay, now I sound obsessed. But you get it.<p>

I walk through the hallway with not much on my mind when I see her. _Lina… _My brain shuts down. My body freezes up. It's all I can do to actually stand on my feet. She turns her head and smiles in my direction and I am too frozen to do anything. I want to return her smile. So bad…

But then…

A guy walks past me. He's handsome, I must admit – sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, tall, muscular…wait a minute…Anthony! It was Anthony from the party! I narrow my eyebrows and suppress a low growl as he goes up to Lina and gives her a big hug. She looks up at him and he leans down and kisses her on the cheek.

I feel sickened. He whispers something in her ear that makes her blush and erupt into girlish giggles. I could never get her to giggle like that…

I turn away, just to bump into a blonde haired, blue eyed girl in front of me. She bats her long eyelashes at me and gives me a smile. "Hi, Doon."

"Hi, Ashley." I grumble. Couldn't she see that I wasn't in the mood right now to talk?

"So…" she twirls some of her blonde hair around one of her manicured fingers, "wanna go to a movie this Friday?"

I actually think about it for a minute. There was always Lina before, but now…what else had I to lose? "Sure." I say.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_So…was it what you expected? Did you like it? I guess the whole 'Lina' thing really sent Doon over the edge if he agreed to go somewhere with Ashley, huh? Speaking of which, Lina looks happy doesn't she? It's a pity that it's Anthony and not Doon, though…tsk, tsk, tsk…_

_Sorry it took so long to post. I've had swim camp so…yeah. It's from 12-4 pm all week this week so the chapters will probably be posted late. Again, I apologize. It's out of my hands, really!_

_Thanks,_

_-Caitie Manda_


	17. Chapter 17: It's Complicated

The last bell had just rang, and Lina had rushed to her locker to gather her things. Students were a bubble of hustle and bustle, trying to get out of the school building as quickly as they could. She stuffed the last textbook into her bag and looked over her locker to make sure she didn't leave anything. Nodding to herself, she closed the metal locker door with a "SLAM!" and turned to make her way to the door. "Hey." A familiar voice greeted her. Lina turned around and spotted Tick's friend, Anthony, leaning against her locker. "Lina, right?"

"Uh…" she raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down. What did he want? "Yeah."

"So, Lina, I was wondering…" his usual calm demeanor was a little bit off. "would you like to go out sometime?" …_WHAT?_

"Um," Lina shook her head to clear her instantly blurred thoughts, "sure. When?"

"How about this Saturday?" He suggested, running a hand through his blonde hair. "Dinner and a movie?"

Lina smiled. She loved watching movies. "Sounds great."

"Cool." Anthony pushed himself off of the locker and made his way through the crowd. Lina felt awkward now, standing in the hallway with her backpack strap in her hand. Why did she feel so guilty about going on a date with Anthony? He seemed interested enough in her. But…oh, right. There was that whole thing with Doon.

Lina mentally slapped herself. Why did she talk him into that? They could've worked it out, right? _"No time for regretting it now…" _Lina counted up the time in her head. _"Wow. It's been two and a half weeks. Not a single text, conversation, or anything since then." _She sighed. Lina was really starting to miss his company.

* * *

><p>Saturday was great. Well, it was great for Anthony, anyway. Lina…not so much. She tried her hardest to laugh at his jokes and smile a lot, but it just didn't feel right. She wasn't happy with Anthony. She wanted to be happy with <em>Doon<em>.

They walked out into the theater parking lot. Anthony reached out and took Lina's hand. Lina was surprised for a moment, but decided to just go with it and clasped her hand around his. "Hey, Lina." Lina turned her head up to look at him.

"Huh?"

"Do you wanna go out again sometime?" Anthony asked. Lina felt her mood drop, but didn't let it show outwardly.

"That sounds like fun." She forced a smile, hoping he'd buy it. He smiled back.

"How does Monday for lunch sound?" He questioned.

"I'd like that." Lina replied. They came to a stop in front of her car. "Well, I guess that's it, then." Lina said.

"I guess." Anthony agreed. Lina looked up at him to see his expression. He looked troubled. His eyes looked over her face.

"What's wrong?" Lina inquired worriedly. Could he tell that she had been upset?

"It's just that…" his gaze stopped at her lips for a moment and then flitted up to her eyes. "Can I…" Oh. _That. _He hesitantly leaned forward, and Lina decided to just let him. His lips pressed against hers softly. His arms wrapped around her waist and hers automatically went up around his neck. He pulled away. "Sorry." He breathed.

"No, no," Lina said, breathless from lack of air, "it was fine." He chuckled and let her go.

"I had fun with you today." He said.

"Me too." Lina smiled. She looked at her car and pulled out her keys. "I better get going." She mumbled quietly. He nodded and watched her get into her car. "Bye, Anthony!" she waved as she pulled out of her parking place. He returned it, and Lina was on her way. She smacked her forehead with her palm as soon as he was out of her sight.

"What was I _thinking_?" she asked aloud. "How could I go on a date with him if I like someone else?" She stopped at a red light. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" The light turned green and she continued to drive. "Oh, well. It's already done, right?" she sighed. But Lina had a feeling that this thing she had going with Anthony was far from over.

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, she stood in front of her locker, getting her books for her next class. She turned and smiled, a real, genuine smile for the first time in a while. Doon was standing there in the middle of the hallway. He was staring right at her. She wanted to go right up to him and tell him that she was sorry. She wanted to go up to him and hug him so badly. But then she remembered. <em>"I said yes when Anthony asked me to be his girlfriend." <em>She thought miserably.

Speaking of which, there was Anthony now. He brushed past Doon and came up to Lina in a whirl. As soon as he was in her line of vision, Lina pulled her eyes from Doon to look at Anthony. He came up and collected her in a hug, lifting her off the ground and twirling her around for a moment. He was so happy.

When he put her back down, Lina looks up at him curiously. What had his mood so bright all of a sudden? He leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek. He bent down closer and whispered in Lina's ear, "I was thinking about seeing you all day," Lina couldn't help but giggle. He was so silly. "and now…" Lina blushed. He pulled away, smiling broadly.

"You're a goof." Lina laughed, pushing him lightly on the shoulder. He caught her hand and kissed her fingertips.

"But I'm _your _goof, which makes it all the better." That made Lina erupt into giggles all over again. He hugged her again, leaving her on the ground this time. As she lay her head on his shoulder, she used the chance to take a peek at Doon. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Ashley approach him.

She initialized a conversation with him, acting all flirty and twirling her hair and such, but Lina knew better. He was totally not into all that. _"Wait…what…what is she…?" _Lina's heart stops as Ashley's face brightened, and she jumped forward and gave him a big hug. And…and his arms wrapped around her waist too…

Ashley's eyes connected with Lina's and she stuck out her tongue. _"Game over." _She mouthed, _"I win."_ Lina's breath caught. Anthony pulled her away.

"Are you okay?" He asked, worried. Lina nodded her head up and down, keeping her head down to hide the tears that were building in her eyes.

"I…I need a moment." She choked out. She ran down the hallway and into the nearest girls' bathroom. She curled up in one of the stalls and cried. _"You brought this upon yourself, Mayfleet." _A voice in her head reminded her. _"I know…" _Lina thought, _"But that doesn't change how I feel…" _she stayed in the bathroom and missed her class. Coincidentally, it was one she had with Doon. She buried her face in her hands. _"It's over." _She thought, _"Ashley wins."_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_So…was it what you were expecting? Obviously, everything is not what it seems. Lina wasn't happy with Anthony after all…AND she saw Doon get with Ashley! What happens next? Well, I can guarantee that it will be filled with drama, drama, and, you guessed it, drama!_

_I know it was really short but I'm in a bit of a rush. Today's my last day of swim camp, so I start getting ready at 11:30. I was trying really hard to finish this chappie before I had to leave. Luckily, I did. Enjoy!_

_Thanks!_

_-Caitie Manda_


	18. Chapter 18: Thoughts

It had been a very hectic and stressful week. No, not because Lina had taken at least one test a day, but because of _her_. Ashley.

She was everywhere. In every hallway, classroom, dark corner…if Lina was there, you could be sure to find Ashley nearby. With Doon, of course. Lina groaned and flopped over so that her face was buried into her pillow and screamed.

Ashley was out to get her. She was seriously trying her best to win this game. What game were they playing, anyway? Fighting over Doon? Was he the prize? Lina let out another scream, which was muffled by her pillow, and rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling.

Ashley and Doon. They were the talk of the school. No one could believe that they were a couple. But then again, no one could believe that Lina and Anthony were a couple, either. Anthony…was he the cause of this? No, that couldn't be right.

Maybe Doon had secretly liked Ashley after all. If so…wait. That didn't make any sense! How could he have liked her when every time she came near him he looked like he was about to be sick? Lina just couldn't imagine him actually liking Ashley.

However, the 'couple stuff', as Lizzie called it, was all there. They'd sit together at lunch, hold hands in the hallway, hug, and every once in a while Ashley would give him flirty kisses on the cheeks. But Doon just…he couldn't…not _Ashley_! He couldn't like her! He _can't _like her!

Lina felt like she was going to be sick. This was just too much. Ashley won, right? And Lina was in a relationship with _someone else_! But Lina still cared about Doon. She couldn't deny that simple, trivial little fact. Actually, if she really thought about it, she had always liked him. Since she first _saw _him...

She sat up, a plan forming in her mind. If it was a game Ashley wanted, it was a game she would get. Lina narrowed her eyes and grinned mischievously. _"Ashley, get ready to lose. This game is over."_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_Gosh! I've been getting antsy. I haven't had any time to get to my computer since Friday morning. Here's how the last few days have gone:_

_Friday afternoon (4:30ish) – came home from swim camp, took a shower, and did laundry 'till bedtime. XP_

_Saturday – hung out with my best friend at a local amusement park_

_Sunday – spent all day at the pool with family_

_Monday – 4__th__ of July. You guys all know how that is, right? _

_SO, you can see how it's been for me. I've had ideas bouncing around in my head this whole time, honest! I'm so glad that I got to post…don't worry. I'll have the next one up about an hour or two. So excited! Things are starting to heat up, huh? Hope you liked this chapter, even though it wasn't extremely long…._

_Thanks!_

_-Caitie Manda_


	19. Chapter 19: Plans in Action

Lina looked at her school outfit: a short-sleeved white collared shirt, navy schoolgirl skirt, red knee high socks, and black converse tennis shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, falling down her back like a chocolaty waterfall. Why was she dressed like this, you ask? Because it was a pep rally day. There wasn't a dress code at Lina's school, however, on the days that there were pep rallies, girls and boys were required to wear school uniforms (which had been given to them at the beginning of the year).

She tucked her shirt in, as was part of the dress code, and grabbed her backpack. "Bye!" she called as she walked out the door.

"Have a good day!" Mrs. Murdo called back. Lina smirked. Oh yes, she'd definitely do that. As soon as she got to school, she went straight to the bathroom to fix her attire.

She unbuttoned a few more buttons, hiked her skirt up a little more and pulled her collar apart a little. "There." She smiled, "That should do the trick." She slung her backpack back over her shoulder and strutted down the hallway to her locker. She unpacked her bag and put her books away, then began gathering her first period class's supplies. She heard a whistle from beside her. Rolling her eyes, she turned to see her friend Trish. She laughed at her black haired friend, who currently had her dark brown eyes focused solely on Lina.

"You look _hot_! Who you trying to impress?" Trish asked, raising an eyebrow. She leaned forward with a smirk. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Ashley and Doon, would it?"

"Maybe it does," Lina replied, shutting her locker door, "maybe it doesn't." she wiggled her eyebrows mysteriously. Trish giggled.

"That bad, huh? Ashley's _so _got it coming." Her expression instantly turned serious. "But wait. What about Anthony? Y'know, your _boyfriend_?"

"I haven't forgotten about him!" Lina exclaimed in mock offense, "He's going to play a big part in this."

"Hmm…" Trish adopted a thoughtful look for a moment. Her face lit up as a lightbulb went on in her head. "Jealously Game?"

"You know me so well." Lina joked.

"Well good luck." Trish said. She turned her gaze down the hall and pointed. "Here they come now." Lina turned to see Doon with a particularly annoying blonde haired, blue eyed model on his arm. At the same moment, Anthony came down the hallway. His hair was perfectly spiked up at the front, his favorite way to wear it, and he was smiling his famous crooked smile at something one of his friends had said to him.

His eyes widened as they came upon Lina. He bid his friend a quick goodbye and rushed up to meet her. "Since when did you dress like this?" he questioned, his eyes looking her up and down. Lina cocked her head to the side in a cute way.

"What do you mean?" She checked quickly to see if she had Doon's attention. _Check. _Lina's eyes turned back to her boyfriend. She took a step toward him and reached up to stroke his cheek. His expression was priceless; pure disbelief and astonishment. She pulled her hand back and crossed her arms over her chest, standing with one hip out, and a pretend pout on her face. "Does it look bad?"

Anthony licked his lips quickly. "N-no." he said, his voice cracking. Out of the corner of her eye, Lina could see Doon still watching. She reached out and took the collar of Anthony's shirt to pull him down to her height. His face was inches from hers.

"Have a great day, babe." She breathed. His eyes were searching her face. She leaned forward a little farther, teasing him, and then let him go. She turned on her heels, feeling him staring after her, and made a show of swaying her hips as she walked.

* * *

><p>She sat at her desk in her first period class, waiting patiently for her teacher to walk in. Everyone was a bubble of chatter, and Lina had her face buried in a book. The tardy bell rang, and the door opened and clicked shut as her English teacher entered. Mr. Wilson stood at the front of the room, waiting for attention. His silence was enough to make everyone quiet down. Lina looked up at him.<p>

His dark hair was streaked with gray, and he wore a suit and tie every day to class. He had a golden band adorned on his left ring finger, and there was a picture of his wife on his desk. He was in his late forties, if not his early fifties, and had been teaching at Lina's school for a number of years. He pulled out the attendance sheet and called out the names, to which the pupils present would respond, "Here!" as per roll-call tradition, and students would say, "Not here." for their peers who were absent.

He put the sheet back into his desk and adjusted his glasses as he pulled out a stack of papers. He began speaking and looked at the top paper. "Class, for the next two weeks, you will be working on a project over the book we've read in class." The entire class let out a collective groan. He looked up from the paper to give a meaningful look to some of the more...distant…students. "I'm sure that you haven't forgotten the name of it yet, considering the fact that we just finished it on Friday."

He walked down the aisle way to pass out copies of the assignment's instructions. After everyone had gotten one, he continued, "You will chose one out of the given projects on the paper for yours. This is a group effort grade, folks, and that means that I want participation from everyone." Someone raised their hand. "Yes?"

The student, a mousy girl with light brown hair and glasses, glanced around the class to see all eyes on her. She focused her attention on the teacher in front of her. "You say this is a group effort," she said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, "but it doesn't say anything about that on the paper." A chorus of 'yeah's and 'she's got a point's rippled through the classroom.

"I was just getting to that." Mr. Wilson explained. She nodded and slid down in her seat, her face reddening. "You will work in partners." Approving murmurs rang through the students. Just as people began talking about project ideas and who their partners would be, Mr. Wilson cleared his throat. Everyone quieted down. "I have chosen the partners for you." All of the students expressed their disappointment, including Lina. _"Who could he have picked as my partner…?"_ She glanced around the room for a moment before returning her attention back to her teacher. _"Just please be someone that I actually get along with…" _she silently begged.

Mr. Wilson began listing off the partners. Lizzie was partnered with Tick, to her pleasure. Lina closed her eyes and crossed her fingers on both hands. _"Please don't pair me with-" _

"Lina Mayfleet," he said, interrupting her thoughts. She held her breath. "you and," her heart rate accelerated as he paused for dramatic effect. As she felt like she was about to faint from holding her breath, he finished, "Doon Harrow will be partners." Lina let out her breath and tried her hardest not to look too happy, considering the fact that Ashley was sending her a death glare. _"It's all part of the plan." _She thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_I decided to give Lina a more mischievous side in this chapter. Hope you liked it! Sorry it took so long to post…I was busy with family and my new German shepherd puppy. I think now I'll call it a night, because I'm actually getting pretty tired. Hopefully I can post again tomorrow! Until then… _

_Thanks!_

_-Caitie Manda_


	20. Chapter 20: Friction

"Okay, so which project are we going to do?" Lina questioned, sitting in a chair in Doon's room. Doon himself was sprawled out across his bed, his focus solely on the instruction paper. "Doon." Lina said impatiently. His brown orbs flickered up at her, flashing with agitation.

"What?"

"Which project do you want to do?" Lina inquired again, sitting back in the chair. She took a deep breath to refrain herself from yelling at him. Seriously, what had put him in such a bad mood? "Let's do the second one." Doon replied offhandedly. Lina rolled her eyes and looked at the paper.

"So," she said, "you want to write up a two thousand word summarization of the book and create a poster?"

"Why not?" Doon asked.

"_Why not_?" Lina repeated exasperatedly, "I don't know about you, but _I _personally don't want to write a super long essay." Doon grunted something that Lina couldn't make out. "How about number one?" she offered.

"Fine." Doon snapped. "Let's just do number one so that you'll be happy and this can all be over with."

Lina nearly fell out of the chair. He did _not _just make this all about her. "What is your problem?" she shouted at him, standing up. She stomped over to the bed and stared down at him, her fists firmly planted on her hips.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Doon responded coolly.

Lina groaned. "I don't _get _you!" she fumed, "What did I do to make you so upset?"

"Doesn't matter." Doon mumbled.

"Well, obviously it does," Lina's voice was dangerously low. "if it has you so upset."

"I already _told _you," Doon countered, standing up to continue their banter face-to-face, "it. Doesn't. Matter."

Lina sighed. He could be so stubborn! "Whatever." She turned on her heel and started packing up her things into her backpack.

"Where are you going?" Doon stared at her as she threw her backpack strap over her shoulder. Lina glared at him.

"Hmm," she began, sarcasm dripping from her tone, "I dunno. _Home_, maybe? Does that bother you?" She brushed past him and whipped back around at his door. "We can continue this stupid project tomorrow." She muttered, opening the door.

"Wait." Doon said all of a sudden. Lina looked at him over her shoulder. "I'm…" he took a deep breath, "sorry. I shouldn't have turned on you like that. Let's just do this project and get it over with, okay?"

Lina debated what he was saying for a minute. Should she stay or go? She gave in to him and walked back into his room, dropping her bag by the bed. "Let's get to work on project number two." She gave him a smile and made her way to the chair.

"Hang on." Doon pleaded, reaching out and grabbing her wrist. He twirled her around so that she faced him.

"What's wrong?" Lina asked breathlessly, absorbed by his brown eyed gaze. He reached out and buttoned her shirt up.

"You never dress like that." Doon explained. Lina nodded and pulled her skirt down a little. "One more thing." Doon said. He reached out and tugged on Lina's hair tie. It slid out, and her hair fell around her shoulders. His eyes looked at her with concern. "Why…" his voice was a whisper, "why did you dress this way…?" Lina's face reddened and she averted her eyes to the floor.

"I-I thought that...that I needed a change." She stammered quietly. She allowed herself to peek at him. His eyebrows were knitted together in a straight line, a tell-tale sign that he was consumed in his thoughts. Lina lifted her head to look at him fully in the face. "Doon?"

His eyes unclouded and looked at her. "Why would you want to do that?" he said after what seemed like centuries of silence.

"I-I'm not sure." Lina answered truthfully.

"You don't need to change yourself." Doon scolded her. Lina's breath caught in her throat as she smoldered underneath his intense gaze. Her cheeks were flushed a light pink color, making her freckles easily visible. She swam deeper, deeper, deeper into his eyes…_NO! _She mentally snapped herself back to reality. Just in time, too, because their lips were mere inches from each others…

"Let's get started on that project!" Lina yelped overenthusiastically, jumping away from Doon. He jumped back as well, startled back into the real world. Lina's face grew about five shades redder as she thought about how close she had been to kissing Doon. _"Maybe…maybe it could happen again…"_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_This chapter was a bit out of the blue I must admit, but I think it shows how things are going between Lina and Doon. Whatcha think? Doon seemed upset about the fact that she would even think about changing herself, didn't he? However, Lina couldn't tell him the real reason she had dressed so out of her element! He can never know. Or at least, not now...and WOW, things are really starting to heat up! I do believe that the climax of this loop is in the near future. Probably about two chappies away. Get ready for it! Strains will be put on relationships, characters will burst into conflict…who can last the longest without bursting under the pressure of all this drama?_

_Thanks for reading!_

_-Caitie Manda_


	21. Chapter 21: Anthony

It had been a week and three days since Lina and Doon had been paired up for that English project. The essay was nearly finished, with a total of one-thousand, four hundred fifty-seven words. The poster was also coming along rather swimmingly, and by Friday that week, Lina and Doon were certain that they'd be done. There was just one _teensy, tiny _problem. That almost-kiss.

It had been bothering Lina, and she would move away from him or randomly change the subject and blabber on listlessly if he got too close for comfort. Doon seemed to be getting annoyed by this. Lina knew that he was upset with her weird behavior, but she couldn't help herself. She was with Anthony. He was with Ashley. At the moment, it couldn't happen.

Things were starting to get extremely awkward between Lina and Anthony. Every time they'd kiss, Lina would think about Doon. Every time they hugged, Lina would think about Doon. Every time he would hold her hand, she'd imagine what it would be like to hold Doon's. It just…it wasn't working anymore. Lina knew it, so with a heavy heart, she made up her mind.

_Ring. Ring. Rii- _"Hello?" Anthony's voice said from the other line.

"Hi, Anthony." Lina replied, a frown on her face.

"What's wrong?" His voice was worried. Lina smiled a watery smile. He was so sweet. _"I'm so sorry…"_

"Can we," she sucked in a deep breath, "meet somewhere? I have to tell you something important."

"Uh, sure." Anthony agreed, his voice sounding a little bit sad. "How about tonight? Let's meet up at that new diner, around, say, six?"

Lina nodded, even though she knew that he couldn't see it. She held in the tears that were brimming her eyes. "Sounds great." She sighed into the phone.

"See you then!" Anthony said.

"See you…" the line clicked off as he hung up. Lina wiped her eyes and went to her closet to get ready.

Lina sat across from Anthony in the little booth with cozy red leather seats. She drummed her fingertips on the gray tabletop, observing the ice cubes floating around in her water uninterestedly. "Lina?" Anthony said, his voice barely above a whisper. Lina looked up at him.

His eyes were dull; a big contrast to their usual glimmer of laughter, and his usually tidy hair was unkempt and messy. His blue orbs were focused on her. "This is it, isn't it?" Lina's eyes brimmed with tears as she nodded slowly.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered.

"No," he shook his head, smiling softly, "I knew it would happen eventually."

"What do you mean?" Lina asked curiously. What was he talking about?

"Ever since I first met you at that party," he paused a moment and they shared a laugh, recalling that event, "I could tell right away that something was going on with you and Doon." Lina opened her mouth to protest, but he held up his hand to silence her. "I could tell that not even you two knew what that exactly was, but my theory was confirmed when you two had to kiss." Lina's face reddened. "You looked so…happy…"

"That's not true!" Lina defended herself. Anthony gave her a serious look.

"I knew, by that starstruck look after you two pulled away, that you felt something real for him." He dropped his eyes as he continued. "You always looked at him in such an awed way. You still do, even though you pretend you don't. You never looked at me that way, and I know why, now." He sighed. This was extremely hard for him, Lina could tell.

"Why?" she asked, her voice barely audible. His eyes connected with hers once more.

"Because you're in love with him." He replied. Lina's eyes widened in shock. Anthony could tell? "And also, because you love him, I began to realize how much being with someone else must hurt you." Lina's face fell and she stared at her lap. "It's okay, Lina." He murmured.

"But…" a few tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes and fell into her hands. "how could you stay with me if..."

"If I knew?" He offered. She nodded her head, still not looking up. "Because really, I was trying to help you." That caught Lina off-guard.

"What?" her head snapped back up, the tears dried up instantly.

"I knew that my being with you obviously caused a reaction in Doon."

"Sure…" she muttered.

"He likes you more than he lets on." Anthony stated. Lina stared at him, eyebrows raised. "He was so jealous and upset that he even went as far as to say yes to Ashley." He grimaced as he spoke her name. "Do you honestly think he'd really wanna be with her?" Lina thought about it for a minute. He really didn't seem like he liked being around her. And she'd initialize all of their physical interactions, never him.

"Well…" Lina steadied her voice, "no. No, I don't think he would."

Anthony smiled wider. "See? You two need to fix whatever's in the way of your relationship. You were meant to be together, in my opinion."

"Is this your blessing?" Lina joked. He smirked.

"I guess so." He stood up and offered Lina his hand. She took it and stood up, standing in front of him.

"Thank you for understanding." She whispered softly. Anthony pulled her into a tight hug in response.

"Go get him." He murmured into her hair, hugging her tighter still. Finally, he released her. "Good luck." He offered an assuring smile to Lina. She bid him goodbye and headed to her car. Now that _that_ was settled, she needed to talk to Doon. And the sooner, the better.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_Surprised? I guess not everything is what it seems, huh? Get ready for things to heat up! Lina's out to find Doon to fix things. But then again, every decision has its consequence, right? Could this bring good consequences or bad? I guess you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out…_

_Also, the next chapter is going to be my first that jumps from POV to POV, between Lina and Doon. I'll make sure to tell you who's point of view you're reading at the beginning of each jump. Stay tuned! Oh, and don't forget to review. :)_

_Thanks for reading!_

_-Caitie Manda_


	22. Chapter 22: Lightning

**Doon**

I walk over to the door lazily after hearing the doorbell ring. I have a feeling that I know who it is, but I look through the peep hole just to make sure. Oh? What's this? A certain tall blonde is standing at my doorstep. Yup. I was right.

My door swings open and I allow her to come inside. Once the door is shut, she turns to me, batting her mascara caked eyelashes. "Is your dad home?"

"Nope." I reply, looking at Ashley from where I stand in front of the couch. She walks over to me and takes a hold of the front of my shirt, pulling me to her.

"Good." She murmurs, brushing her lips against mine for a second. She falls onto the couch pulling me down on top of her. "Now," she puts her finger in front of my face and does the 'come here' motion, "kiss me." I don't move, so she comes up.

She captures my lips with her smooth, glossy ones. I am numb to the feeling. I am a robot; I go through all the motions without a single fleeting emotion or skipping heartbeat. I only look forward to when it's over and when she leaves. Then, I'll be all on my own once again. She pulls back, a pout on her face. "What?" I ask, not actually caring about what she's upset about. I had never cared much for drama queens.

"You aren't kissing me back like you usually do." She answers, jutting her lip out further. I roll my eyes and refrain from standing up and kicking her out.

"I'm just thinking." I explain to her, forcing a smirk to try to convince her. She believes me, of course. She giggles girlishly and her face lights up.

"Were you thinking about me?" she inquires, clearly expecting a yes, judging from her smug expression.

"And other things." I say offhandedly. She giggles and arches her back to connect her lips to mine again. I just inwardly sigh and let her. _It'll be over in a little while._

* * *

><p><strong>Lina<strong>

I curse underneath my breath as I look up at the sky. Dark, heavy storm clouds loom menacingly overhead. A raindrop falls on the tip of my nose as I turn my attention back to my thoughts. _"What am I supposed to say?" _I find myself wondering. _"This always happens with lack of planning. Great move, Lina." _I finally look up, and just in time, too, otherwise I would've run into his front door.

I take a deep breath. _"No need to be worried." _I assure myself, _"All you're doing is telling a guy you love him. Happens every day. No big deal." _I sigh. _"I'm so dead." _I reach under the doormat and snatch the spare key. Lucky for me, Doon had told me about it when we first started studying for this project, just in case I needed it.

I hold the key out, mere millimeters from the keyhole. _"Should I do it?" _I glance over my shoulder. It's starting to sprinkle. I shake away any doubt and shove the key in. As I slowly unlock the door, I take a few deep breaths to calm my raging heart. Its loud, fast-paced drumming echoes through my head. I hesitate as I reach for the door handle.

"_This is your last chance to turn away, Mayfleet." _I remind myself, pulling my hand back slightly. I could just lock the door back, put the key where it belongs, and be on my way, no harm done whatsoever. But I can't. Not now. I _need _to do this. Doon has to know. I reach out and push on the handle, barely noticing that the rain is slowly starting to fall. _"No more running."_

* * *

><p><strong>Regular<strong>

The door swung open, revealing a thin girl with waist length ebony hair wearing a seafoam green blouse and tight fitting jeans. Her eyes widen as she sees the couple tangled on the couch. The boy, who had been deeply engrossed in kissing the girl beneath him, snaps up upon hearing a strangled gasp. His brown eyes connect with a pair of blue ones in the doorway.

They stare at each other for a moment. A rumble of thunder sounds, and lightning flashes behind the girl, reflecting in her pained eyes. The girl shakes her head, closing her eyelids over her tear-filling eyes, and steps backwards through the doorway. "Wait!" the boy cries, leaping up from the sofa. He runs to the doorway just in time to see the girl disappear into the rain in her car.

Now, the boy's companion is standing behind him. She clucks her tongue, a pleased smirk on her face. "That's just too bad." She says, although not at all meaning it. The boy is too busy staring out into the now pouring rain through the still open door. "Doon." The girl says impatiently, tapping him on the shoulder. He shakes her off and makes up his mind. He runs through the doorway and across the lawn, toward his own car. "DOON!" the girl screeches. Doon turns toward her.

"WHAT?" he calls back, irritated.

"If you get into that car and go after her, we're _over_!" The girl cries, her fists balled up so tightly that her knuckles are white. He looks from her to the car and back. The rain is beginning to soak through his shirt and has already thoroughly wet his hair. Finally, he makes his choice. He opens the car door, jumps in, and drives away.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_Ooo, Doon and Ashley are over now! Maybe Ashley will finally go away…*evil laugh* I guess you'll have to wait and find out. The bigger question is, will Doon find Lina? And if he does, what will he say? Stay tuned, dear reader!_

_Okay, I know that this is a short chapter but it's been stewing around in my head for a while. I don't really think it was that great, honestly. But that's okay, as long as you liked it! I'll have the next chapter up in a little bit. If not…you should expect it sometime tomorrow._

_Thanks for reading!_

_-Caitie Manda_


	23. Chapter 23: Let the Rain Fall

The rain was pounding against Lina's windshield, and combined with the tears that just kept coming, it was hard for her to drive. But she was still doing it. It was as if she were on autopilot. Even if Lina ended up in a wreck, it's not like anyone would be too upset besides Poppy and Mrs. Murdo. Doon would be fine because he had _Ashley_. The name put a bad taste in her mouth and made her tears fall harder.

How could she have been so _stupid_? There was no way Doon would love her back! It was a foolish decision that Lina wished she hadn't made up her mind to do. She sighed. _"I guess finding out this way is less painful than actually telling him and being shot down." _She reasoned. Lina let out a sob.

"No," Lina choked out, "this is _worse_." She had never expected to see Doon and Ashley _kiss. _And even though at one point or another she knew that it would happen, she didn't expect it to look like…_that_. Another sob ripped through her throat. She slammed down on the breaks and the car came to a jolting stop. She opened the door, ignoring the rain and not really caring at this point, and tried to figure out where she was.

Through the thick rain, she could see the silhouette of the park's playground equipment. _The park…_

She slammed the door shut harder than she meant to and dragged her feet to the gate. She unlatched it with shaky hands and walked slowly across the soaked wood chips. A burst of lightning bloomed across the sky, lighting up the raindrops in a bright white, followed by an earsplitting roll of thunder. Lina sank down to her knees and put her face in her hands, her hair plastering itself to her body.

The rain was cold as ice, chilling Lina to the bone. Her clothes were drenched in water, clinging to her body like tape. Lina cried into her hands, her salty tears trailing their way down into her palms and mixing in with the raindrops that had managed to slip in. Her whole body shook with each sob, and she was a truly sad sight to behold.

Her appearance looked as broken as she felt inside. _Stupid girl! _A voice shouted at her within her head, _He would never love you! Who could ever love someone like you? _Lina sank deeper into the growing darkness of her heart, and she was so overcome with grief that she didn't even hear the gate open and close as someone else entered the play area.

The chips crunched beneath his feet, water squishing out as he walked, and he was as waterlogged as she. His dark hair was glued to his head and face, and his brown eyes were taking the girl in. "Lina…" he whispered, his voice saturated with emotion as he fell to his own knees beside her. He reached out and touched her arm lightly.

Lina slowly looked up from her hands, her blue eyes red and puffy. They met his brown ones and new tears began to swirl within them. Doon was no idiot; he could see that she was crying even through the rain. "Why are you here?" Lina asked, not breaking eye contact. "Why aren't you with…" she looked down as fresh tears trailed down her face. She took in a shaky breath and finished, "Ashley?"

Doon smiled at her, his eyes pained as he realized what he had done to her. Had he really hurt her this badly? "We broke up." He replied. Lina's eyes lit up a little, but it was snuffed out as quickly as it came.

"Oh." She whispered. "I'm sorry." Doon reached out and took her chin and tilted her head upward.

"No," he said, "you shouldn't be."

"Why?" Lina questioned, "She made you happy."

Doon shook his head and leaned in closer. There was only an inch between them. "She didn't."

"Why?" Lina's voice trembled.

"She isn't _you_." Doon murmured. A small gasp escaped Lina's lips as his words settled in. Her eyes locked with his, revealing her vulnerability and questioning. Doon leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers.

Lina's eyes were wide with shock, and a million things ran through her head. But then she took in his closed eyes and came to the realization of one thing. _He… _her eyes closed and a few tears managed to find their way out. _He loves me, too… _

Lina wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips harder upon his. Doon dropped his hand from her chin and wrapped one around her back, and the other snaked its way into her hair. _I love you so much. _Lina tried to show him. Her hands played with his hair and caressed his face. _I love you. I love you. I love you. _And then, he responded.

_I love you, too. _His actions spoke for him; loud and clear. He cupped her face in his hand as he pulled away, and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb as he rested his forehead against hers. "I love you, Lina," he whispered softly, "and don't you _ever _think otherwise again."

Lina smiled and laughed, her blue eyes dancing with happiness. "I love you." She murmured back, leaning forward and pressing her lips to his again. With each break in their kisses, Lina's voice would softly breathe, "I love you."

He'd reply in kind every time. "I love you, too." Doon replied, fixating her with his molten chocolate eyes. And then they would do it all over again.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_Finally! Yes, this time they really are together. I have been plotting this part for SUCH a long time! I hope this isn't too cliché…I really wasn't trying to make it too fluffy. But hey, I like fluffy, don't you? :)_

_Now that they've gotten together, everything should be good right? Remember, with every action comes a reaction, and every decision has its consequences. The only question is, will these consequences be good or bad? This may seem like the end, but it is only the beginning…what does this all mean, you might ask? I guess you'll have to wait to find out…_

_With love,_

_-Caitie Manda_


	24. Chapter 24: Tissues and Texting

Lina pulled her blankets up to her neck. She was freezing in her room. Mrs. Murdo came in, with a tray carrying a bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup, saltine crackers, and an ice water in her hands. She looked at Lina and smiled, her green-grey eyes wrinkling slightly at the edges. She set the tray down on the small table beside Lina's bed and moved her tissues closer to her.

Lina smiled gratefully and pulled out a soft Kleenex to blow her nose into. "Thanks." She said, her voice raspy from coughing.

"You're welcome, dear." Mrs. Murdo replied softly. She sat on the end of Lina's bed and fixed her with a meaningful look. Lina threw her tissue away and looked at her, quirking an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, pausing to cough. Mrs. Murdo gave her a knowing smile.

"How is it, exactly, that you got yourself so sick?" Mrs. Murdo questioned carefully. Lina blushed.

"I already told you." Lina answered in an exasperated tone, trying to hide her embarrassment, "I stood out in the rain too long."

"I know, silly." Mrs. Murdo laughed. "I guess my question is, why?" Lina looked down and busied herself with eating her soup. "Lina, don't change the subject."

"Me?" she paused, her spoon halfway to her mouth. "I'd _never _do that." she shook her head quickly and shoved the steaming liquid into her mouth.

"Let me guess." Mrs. Murdo said, "It has something to do with that Doon boy, doesn't it?" Lina choked on her soup. She coughed (both because of being sick and because the soup went down the wrong pipe) and felt her cheeks catch on fire. Mrs. Murdo chuckled. "Well, that explains that, now doesn't it?" Lina shoveled soup into her mouth with an inhuman speed to avoid further embarrassing conversation. The silver haired woman stood, understanding the teenager's need for privacy, and left the room with a knowing smile.

Lina let out a sigh. She couldn't believe how quickly Mrs. Murdo had caught on. _"Am I really that obvious?" _she thought. She sank a little deeper into her pillows. "I wonder if Doon's at school…" Lina said aloud, looking at her phone. She sniffled a few times and blew her nose to try to clear it out, and then resorted to sneezing her brains out.

After that had quit, Lina gave an exasperated groan. _"I have to live through a whole week of _this_?" _she questioned herself miserably. Doon came back to her mind again, and this time she couldn't push him away. They had _something_. Lina wasn't sure what that was yet, but she knew that there was something special about how she and Doon felt about each other. But _what _made it special? Lina didn't know.

Now that she had been deep in thought about him for at least an hour, she decided to see what he was doing right about now. He was probably at school…would he get in trouble if Lina sent him a text? He could get his phone taken away by a teacher. But…oh, forget it. It wasn't worth the risk. Lina put her phone back on the table.

Besides, he was probably busy. School tends to do that. Lina stared at the phone, trying to decide what to do. Text him or don't text him? She bit her bottom lip. _"Should I…?" _she reached out for the phone, but then pulled her hand back, shaking her head. _"No! He's at school." _

"_But I want to talk to him." _She moved to grab it again. _"He's busy. I don't want to get him in trouble!" _she settled her hand back into her lap. _"Maybe I should just check up on him and see how he's doing." _Lina's arm stretched back out. _"He'll get his phone taken away because of me!"_

She growled in annoyance and busied herself with staring at the ceiling. _"It is just one silly little text message." _Lina reasoned. Her blue eyes flicked over to the phone and back up at the ceiling. _"However, he probably doesn't even have his phone on him. It's probably off and in his locker where it should be." _She threw her hands up in frustration and slid down into her pillows. _"I give up." _

"I'm taking a nap." She groaned, even though no one was in the room to acknowledge the fact that she had spoken. She slammed her face down onto her pillow and closed her eyes. Just as she was trying to get herself still, her phone buzzed. Her heart rate sped up, and she shot up like a bullet. She regretted it, feeling a little dizzy and starting to cough, but she reached out for her phone to see who the text message was from. Doon! She hastily opened the message.

_Hey. Are you at school? _

_**Nope.**_

_Don't tell me that you caught a cold too._

_**I wish I could. Unfortunately, luck is never on my side…**_

_Hmm…depends on who you ask…_

I giggled. Bad move. My hoarse giggles turned into barking coughs. I took a sip of water as it settled down again to try to relieve my aching throat. _**Oh really now? What if I asked you?**_

_Then I'd say that you are most definitely lucky._

_**Care to elaborate?**_

_Hm…I might let you think about that one._

_**Please? With a cherry on top?**_

_Nope._

_**Jerk.**_

_You know you love it._

_**Sadly, you're right.**_

_I always am!_

_**You're such a dork.**_

_And so are you._

_**Maybe so, but you love me anyway.**_

_Of course._

Lina laughed. _**I love you, you big jerk. **_

_I love you, too, you little dork._

_**Hey, enough with the height jokes!**_

**Author's Note**

_So this was just a fun little fluffy chapter! I hope you liked. :) You can't really expect to spend too much time out in the rain without getting sick, right? Aren't they cute? I just love this couple! Hopefully I can update soon, but no promises…_

_And please don't forget – reviews are love!_

_Thank you for reading and reviewing. :)_

_-Caitie Manda_


	25. Chapter 25: Back to School

"Lina!" Lizzie squealed from down the hallway, pushing through the throng of students. Lina looked up to her boyfriend and smiled at him.

"You better go." Doon chuckled, leaning down to place a light peck on her cheek.

"I guess." Lina mumbled. Doon squeezed her hand and let her go. Lizzie grabbed Lina's arm and pulled her into the bathroom.

"Talk." Lizzie said, placing her hands on her hips and fixating Lina with a stern expression. Lina held her gaze, a blank expression on her face. Lizzie's green eyes bored into Lina's brown ones for a moment, searching for something… "OHMIGOSH!" she squealed, breaking out into a broad grin and pulling Lina into a death-gripping hug. "You and Doon!"

"Can't..._breathe_…" Lina gasped. Lizzie laughed and released her.

"How did it happen?" Lizzie questioned. Lina looked down and blushed. "This should be good." The redhead smiled evilly. Lina rolled her eyes, but as soon as she looked up, with a giggle, she gushed out every detail of how, when, and where it all happened.

"…and that's it!" Lina finished proudly.

"In the _rain_?" Lizzie inquired, her jaw wide open.

"Uh-huh." Lina nodded, blushing again, her lips tingling from just thinking about it.

"So he…" her friend trailed off, a disbelieving look on her face. The brunette nodded again. "and you…?"

"Close your mouth, Lizzie!" Lina giggled, pushing her friends chin back up, "You'll catch flies."

"I told you! I _soooo _told you! But you didn't believe me!" Lizzie bragged half-heartedly, hugging her friend again. She pushed Lina away, her hands still firmly on her shoulders and looked at her seriously. "Time to tell the girls." Lina sighed.

"Do we have to?" she whined.

"Yes." Lizzie stated resolutely. She released Lina and marched to the door. Lina stood in the middle of the bathroom in a daze. Lizzie giggled and came back to grab her wrist and drag her out. "_Today _would be nice, Lina." She joked.

Lina spotted Doon from across the hallway and gave him a helpless look. She could see the laughter in his eyes as he took in her situation and came over, trying to hide his laughter. "Hey, Lizzie." He said, leaning coolly against a locker in front of them.

"Hi, Doon!" Lizzie replied enthusiastically, bouncing up and down. "I can't believe you guys are actually together! I mean, I knew it would happen but I didn't think you'd actually do it." Doon shrugged and chuckled.

"Do you mind if I steal my girlfriend?" Doon asked. Lizzie grinned and pushed Lina forward.

"Go ahead." She answered, her eyes glittering as thoughts of who-knows-what were going on inside her head. Lina knew that smirk she wore well and prepared herself for a smart-alecky comment. Lizzie turned on her heels and began to walk away. As she got a few feet away, she turned to look at the couple over her shoulder, tossing some silky red hair over her shoulder. "Just don't do anything you wouldn't want anyone to see. This _is _a public place, you know." Lina shot her a what-in-the-world-are-you-thinking? look, causing Lizzie to erupt into laughter. "Have fun, you two!" she chirped from down the hallway.

Lina turned and gave Doon an apologetic look. "I'm really sorry about that. She can be a little weird sometimes."

Doon laughed. "I already knew that, remember? I've been sitting with you and your friends for a while, now."

Lina blushed and looked down. "Oh…right…" Doon pulled her into a tight hug and rested his chin on top of her head. She let out a soft, contented sigh. "I could get used to this." She murmured into his chest. His chest vibrated as he chortled quietly into her hair.

"Oh really?"

"Mmhmm…" Lina pulled back just enough to see his face. "Doon?"

"Hmm?" His brown eyes searched her face.

"Let's never forget this, alright?"

"I don't think I could ever," he leaned down and linked their foreheads, cupping her cheek in his hand and gently running his thumb across her skin, "forget this. More specifically, I don't think I could ever forget _you_."

"No," Lina agreed, his breath warm on her face, "never." She tilted her head upward a little to catch his lips lightly. His other hand snaked its way into her hair and held the back of her neck. His touch sent shivers down her spine. He smiled against her lips. Lina's hands were still on his chest, clutching his shirt tightly. He slowly moved his hand from her cheek and up to one of her hands that were fisted into his clothing. The warmth and overall sensation his hand brought to her own sent tingles all up and down her arm, all the way up to her cheeks and causing them to flush a light reddish color.

All at once, Lina felt something wrong about the situation. She broke away from Doon quickly, and leaned her head on his chest. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "Is everything alright?" He whispered into her hair.

"Doon," Lina mumbled back quietly, "I feel like someone is watching us."

Doon lifted his head up and looked around quickly and whispered in her ear, "Yeah, I felt that, too. But no one's there, baby."

"Something doesn't seem right." Lina continued, paranoia sweeping over her. "Who would be watching us?"

"I don't know, Lina, but you can't get yourself all worked up about this. It was probably nothing." Doon assured her. Lina nodded and pulled away.

"Maybe." She whispered, still not convinced.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_OOO! *evil laugh* a cliffy! Prepare yourself for drama…_

_Okay, so I just wanted to explain that there was a little mix-up with chapters 23 and 24 ("Let the Rain Fall" and "Tissues and Texting"). I accidentally posted chapter 24 up before 23, and I realized it, like, a week too late. Sorry about that! But it's all fixed now and everything's where it should be, which is good. Now I should explain that there's only going to be about 30ish chapters, so in about five more chapters I'll be done with this story, which is pretty sad. I'm really excited, though! Do you realize that this is the longest Doon/Lina fic so far? I think it might even be the longest COE fic! 25 chapters! GOODNESS! It has been really fun writing this. This has basically been my "project" for this summer. And now that summer's almost over…well, so is this, sadly. But don't worry! The chapters aren't done yet! :)_

_Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

_-Caitie Manda_

_P.S._

_I'd like to give a HUGE thank you to **leafysummers**. Your reviews have really made this story worthwhile for me. Thank you so much!_

_I'd also like to give a shout-out to everyone else who's given me reviews! Your encouragement is greatly appreciated. :)_

**_Dinosaursareblue_**

**_IAmLesboSoDealWithIt_**

**_Meggie cronwall_**

_Thank you for reviewing!_

_Now for my shout-outs for the people who have added this to their alerts or favorites list!_

**_Anonymousvoice_**

**_Dinosaurs-are-blue_**

**_IAmLesboSoDealWithIt_**

**_KelseyHalliwell_**

**_ktran_**

**_Meggie cronwall_**

**_thunder2010_**

**_Wisegirl13_**

**_Wolfeyesfang_**

**_Small-Fri_**

_Whew! That was my longest A/N I've ever written! I just had to take the time to write all of this down. Thank you guys so much. :)_


	26. Chapter 26: Ticklish? Never

Doon leaned back against the tree in the middle of the school courtyard. Lina sat in his lap, leaning her back against his chest. His arms were wrapped protectively around her waist, and her fingers were woven between his. She sighed. "Long day?" Doon asked.

"You have no idea." She replied tiredly. Doon gave her a little squeeze. Lina giggled.

"Are you, Lina Elizabeth Mayfleet, _ticklish_?" Doon questioned in mock astonishment. Lina turned around in his lap to face him.

"Me?" she batted her eyelashes playfully, "Never."

"I'll just have to see for myself, then." Doon smiled.

"Doon," Lina warned, scooting backwards, grinning, "please don't."

"Ah, but you know that I must." Doon answered. He pounced on her and held her down beneath him, holding her wrists up above her head. He had to admit, she looked beautiful like that, with her long, chocolaty tresses fanned out around her head, the sunlight glinting off of them, and her cheeks flushed ever so lightly – _Doon! Focus. _He snapped out of his trance and watched her stare at him breathlessly. He leaned forward carefully, hovering over her so that he would hurt her. His face was inches from hers. Her blue eyes shined with glee, and a small, quiet gasp escaped her lips.

"Doon…" she whispered. He was so close to her that he could bet that she could feel his hair brushing against her smooth, flawless cheeks. He came a little closer, and then – Lina erupted into laughter as his hands tickled her across her stomach and neck. She tossed and turned in the grass as his fingers mercilessly danced over all of her most ticklish spots. "Stop!" she gasped through her laughter.

"Not until you admit that you are, in fact, ticklish." Doon challenged.

"Okay, okay!" she squealed, "I'm ticklish!" Doon smiled victoriously and released her. She rolled over onto her back and clutched her sides. "It hurts, Doon..." she whimpered breathlessly, wiping the hysterical tears from her eyes.

He fell onto his back and stared at the sky, his hands folded behind his head. He smiled and nodded. "It would after all of that tickling, wouldn't it?" he joked. He flipped over onto his side to face her, propping his head up on his elbow. She watched the clouds drift lazily across the sky, trying to identify pictures in them.

"I haven't been tickled like that in years." Lina admitted softly, picking at the grass absentmindedly.

"Really?" Doon asked, moving closer to her. She nodded slowly, her eyes still focused on the bright blue dome over their heads. "How long's it been?"

Lina hesitated. Should she really tell him? _Of course I should. He'd understand. He knows me better than anyone. _"Since my mom died."

"That long?" Doon's voice was hoarse. Her mom had passed when they were in sixth grade. That was six years ago. "What about your dad? I thought you still had him."

"Truth be told," Lina replied, her voice clear and gentle, "he was gone the day my mom was. He was never the same after that. There were too many memories…" her eyes sparkled with tears at the edges, and Doon reached forward to catch a few before they fell into the grass. Lina drew in a breath. "Every time someone mentioned her, he'd start crying."

"That's horrible." Doon said honestly. He had no idea that she had to go through that.

"It is what it is." Lina said. She turned onto her stomach, resting her head on her arms. Her blue eyes raked over his face slowly, taking in every detail. Her eyes were still glossy, so Doon knew that this topic was hard for her to talk about, but she somehow managed a genuine smile. "Stop worrying about me." She reached out and stroked Doon's cheek, her soft fingertips tracing over the curve of his jaw.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you." Doon blurted.

Her smile fell ever so slightly, but for only a moment, and she moved closer to him and propped her head up like him. Doon could see a tinge of sadness in her eyes that betrayed her expression. "It's in the past, Doon. You have to come to terms with that. I have you now, and you have me." She took his hand in one of her own and stroked his palm lightly, drawing patterns across his skin.

"I know, but…"

"I love you. I love you now, I loved you then." Lina fixated him with a loving expression, her eyes glowing with emotion. "More importantly, I forgive you. Now you need to forgive yourself."

"It's hard." Doon sighed, closing his hand around hers. "But I can try. For you."

"Thank you." Her voice met his ears, and he smiled. _God, I really love this woman. _Lina cocked her head to the side, her eyes clearly asking, 'Is everything okay?' she looked so unbelievably cute. Better yet, she was concerned about him. He loved that about her. No, scratch that. He loved _her_. That's all there was to it. He loved her laugh, which had become one of his favorite melodies in the whole world. He loved the way that she could wear something as simple as a pair of sweats and a hoodie and look as beautiful as she would in the most elegant dress. He loved the way that her hair fell in soft ripples around her face, and how her breathtaking smiles were always for him.

He loved how her eyes always spoke her true emotions, like they were the gateway to her soul. He loved the fact that she always put on a smile, even when she was going through something horrible. He loved her. So much that it _hurt_. If she ever broke up with him…Doon didn't even want to think about what would become of him. The one thing that surprised him the most, was that she felt the same way for him. He knew that she felt just like he did. One day…Doon was sure that he would marry this woman. She had to be _his_, and his alone.

Doon reached out and ran his fingers through her hair. Lina closed her eyes and leaned forward a little, but then her eyes snapped open suddenly and she drew herself back. Her eyes went wide with alarm and she sat up straight. Doon pulled himself up and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Someone's watching…" she muttered. Her eyes frantically flitted about the empty school courtyard.

"Lina," Doon said, shaking her gently, "no one's here. It's just us." Her eyes met his. Her breathing had hitched, and her heart was racing.

"Doon, I _know _someone's there." She whispered. She was pale as a sheet. "You believe me, don't you?"

"I bet someone might have seen us, but I don't think anyone's just sitting somewhere _spying _on us. That's a little out there, don't you think?"

"No, someone…" she looked around one more time, her eyes scraping across the area. She sighed and her tensed body relaxed slightly. She shook her head roughly. "You're probably right. I'm just being paranoid again." She giggled nervously. Doon released her, but he knew that she hadn't dropped the idea. What was going on with her lately? She'd always just jerk away from him any time that they were in a public place and say something about 'someone watching them'. The first time, Doon had felt it, too, but all those other times…was there really some creep hiding somewhere, watching their every move, or was it all in Lina's head?

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_Hmm…something weird's going on…what are your thoughts, my dear readers? Do you think that Lina's just being paranoid or is there someone really there? I guess you'll have to wait and see…_

_Thanks for reading and reviewing! :)_

_-Caitie Manda_


	27. Chapter 27: Troublesome Thoughts

Lina stood outside the school in front of a particular tall, muscular brown haired, brown eyed teenage boy. He flashed her favorite crooked smile as she looked up into his molten chocolate eyes. "It's just for now, Lina." He said.

"I know, I know." She sighed, waving off the subject and smiling back. He reached out and carefully tucked some of her loose brown hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes and leaned toward him as his fingers lightly traced down her jaw line and hooked underneath her chin.

"Goodbye for us isn't forever." Doon whispered reassuringly. Lina nodded slowly.

"Just for now." She repeated his earlier words. He smiled again.

"Right." Lina stood up on her tip-toes to press her lips against his. He put his arms around her and held her up higher. Her arms wound themselves around his neck. They broke apart when the need for oxygen was unavoidable any longer and took deep breaths of air. "I swear," Doon chuckled softly, "you'll be the death of me one day." Lina merely grinned cheekily in response.

She shook her head and pulled away from him. She'd gotten that strange feeling again. "W-well, I guess this is goodbye, then." She said quickly, her eyes scanning her surroundings before he noticed. "For now." She added after a moment, stuttering a little. Doon saw feelings of uncertainty and paranoia flash through her eyes, but they were gone by the time that he had blinked. He narrowed his eyes but left the subject alone. He knew what was going on inside of her head and the fact that she was still touchy about it, even though it had been two weeks since the first occurrence.

"It's only spring break." Doon reminded her quietly. She nodded mutely. "I'll see you later at the park, alright?" Lina bobbed her head up and down again. He sighed softly, opened his mouth to say something, and closed it again and instead ducked close to her and gave her a soft peck on the cheek before walking away. Lina couldn't dismiss that feeling in the pit of her stomach, nor could she ignore the fact that she felt someone's eyes on her. She walked to her car as fast as she could, trying to escape from that unnerving stare.

She got home in less than twenty minutes and stood at her front doorstep, fiddling with her keys to find the house key. When she got to it, she held it up victoriously and proceeded to shove it into the lock and turning it. The door unlocked and she stepped inside. "I'm ho-ome!" she announced, closing the door behind herself and hanging her sweater on the coat rack. She dropped her bag by the front door and locked it back before venturing further into the house. "Mrs. Murdo?" she came into the kitchen just in time to see her bent down in front of the oven, pulling out a metal tray covered with perfectly round, chocolate chip cookies. The silver-haired woman turned upon hearing Lina's voice, and her face lit up as her eyes fell onto her.

"Lina!" she said, setting the tray onto the counter and pulling off her oven mitts. "How was your day?"

Lina made her way into the kitchen and reached for a fresh cookie. Mrs. Murdo swatted her hand away. Lina pouted playfully and replied, "Boring. Went to class, got homework, and finished all of it in class."

"That's great!" The old woman exclaimed from the sink, where she was washing flour from her hands. She turned to Lina and asked, "Do you mind running an errand?"

"Sure." The teenager answered, grabbing a banana and peeling it. She took a bite off of it and swallowed before continuing. "What's the errand?"

"I need you to run to the grocery store and get a gallon of milk, loaf of bread, and a carton of eggs." Mrs. Murdo explained. "Sound too hard?"

"Nope. Milk, bread, eggs. Got it." Lina nodded and finished off her banana, throwing the peel into the trashcan. Mrs. Murdo handed her a twenty dollar bill and sent her out the door. Lina shut the door firmly behind herself and made her way across the lawn to her car. She stood at the passenger's side door at the curb for a moment to unlock the car, letting out a large puff of relief as she climbed inside.

She turned on the radio and swayed her head to the beat of the music, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel as she drove along. She stopped at a red light and took the time to blow a stray lock of hair from her face. Lina was frustrated for some reason, and that familiar suspicious feeling crept up on her. Why was she feeling like this _here_? She was in her car, wasn't she?

Lina shook her head and pushed down the gas pedal after the light changed to green. "Whatever." Lina muttered under her breath, flicking on her left blinker, "No need to get myself all wound up about nothing." This was something she was sure would pass eventually. Every person gets this feeling every once in a while, right? Now, Lina wasn't one of those teenagers who was constantly biting her nails and crying out, _'Someone's there! Somebody's out to get me!'_, because that would just be silly and childish.

No, Lina was sure that she felt this way for a reason. But now that she thought about it…who would be watching her? No one came to mind. Lina shook her head and parked her car in the local grocery store parking lot. This was just too silly. "Get a grip," Lina scolded herself as she stepped through the glass doors. "there's absolutely nothing to be afraid of."

Oh, if only she knew how wrong she was.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_OH MY GOSH! I'm so sorry, guys! I know this really wasn't a long chapter but I haven't had the time to write lately. As I'm sure you all know, school's started back up again, so my chapters won't be as frequent. I'll try my best to post at least every weekend. I've been piled down with loads of homework and it's only the second week of school! I'm drowning, here! But anyway. I also started marching band practices five hours a day on August 1__st__, from 7 am to 12:30 pm. It's been a pain to be out in this heat three hours a day, but it's so worth it! My first game ever in the marching band will be this Friday. Wish my team the best! :)_

_Thank you everyone for the support and the reviews! I deeply apologize once again for the delay of this post. It's been sitting half-finished on my computer for God-knows-how-long, now. Three weeks, I think…? And a special shout-out to leafysummers! Thank you so much for the birthday wishes! That really made my day. Also, thank you to everyone else who added this to their favorites, alerts list, and reviewed. (I'd do more shout-outs, but sadly I'm lazy…so. You guys know who you are!)_

_Thank you!_

_-Caitie Manda_


	28. Chapter 28: Bread, Eggs, and Milk

_WOOT! I'm listening to one of my favorite songs, "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)" by the Eurythmics and I've got my groove on! I just couldn't wait to write this chapter. I apologize for my unforgivable delay between last chapter and this one, but school's been a drag. A lot of other personal things have been going on in my life, too, which has had a pretty big impact on me emotionally. But anywho. Sorry. Story time! I hope you enjoy! Please, if you will, read and review!_

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><p>Lina walked through the aisles, browsing the merchandise. She kept repeating the list in her head. "<em>Bread, eggs, milk. Bread, eggs, milk. Bread, eggs, m-" <em>Her phone began to ring loudly, startling her back into reality. She fumbled around in her pockets until she pulled out her cell phone, and nearly dropped it trying to flip it open once she saw the caller ID. "Hello?" she said, trying to come across as casual despite her close encounter with a heart-attack. She held a hand over her fluttering heartbeat.

"Hey, Lina." Doon replied almost instantly. Lina could hear his smile through his voice over the phone and returned it, even though she knew he couldn't see it.

"What's up?" she asked, walking again. The list started reeling through her head again. _"Bread, eggs, milk. Bread, eggs, milk."_

"I was just making sure that we were still on for the park today." He said slowly, as if weighing each word as he said them.

Lina laughed. "Of course! What time?"

"Depends. What're you doing right now?" Doon posed.

"Shopping for groceries for mom." Lina answered. "I should be done in a few minutes."

"Oh, okay." Doon breathed. "So…twenty-ish minutes, then?"

"Thereabout, yeah." Lina said. "Aha!" she cried out victoriously, holding up the bread. She heard Doon chuckling over the line.

"What's that?"

"Found the bread…" Lina mumbled quietly, her cheeks burning.

"I see." Doon's laughter faded, though there were still traces of mirth in his tone as he said, "Well, I guess we should go. You've got your shopping to do, and the faster we hang up the faster you'll get done, which means the faster I'll get to see you." Lina rolled her eyes.

"You're cheesy, you know that?" Lina joked.

"That's why you love me so much." Doon countered. Lina could almost picture his famous smirk written all over his face.

"Sure it is."

"Is that sarcasm I hear?"

"I'm hanging up now."

"Oh really now?"

"Goodbye, Doon."

"What? So you're just going to hang up after this nice long chat?"

"Yep."

"Wow." Doon said. "I'm really feeling the love."

"You should." Lina replied, grinning like Cheshire cat. "Bye. I love you. See you in a bit."

"See you. I love you, too. Bye." Lina hung up her phone, still giggling softly as she walked.

"Bread. Check." Lina muttered to herself. "Eggs…now where'd they be…?" She turned a corner and came upon the refrigerated food section. "Eggs, eggs, eggs…" she passed cheese, butter, sandwich meat, and a few other things until she came upon what she was looking for. She looked through a few of the cartons, checking for cracked eggs, until she found one with none. Satisfied, she plucked it out of the stack carefully. "Eggs. Check."

After she had gotten the milk, she went up to the register to pay for the food. The store was nearly empty, so she didn't have to wait in line. Lina stepped up to register seven and put the food on the counter. The cashier, a middle-aged woman with a kind face and dark brown hair that was beginning to gray on the edges had all of Lina's groceries scanned and in the bag in a flash. After Lina had paid and gotten her receipt, the cashier gave her a friendly smile and a wave.

Lina returned them happily, and even threw in a, "Goodbye! Have a nice night," because she was feeling so giddy. She pushed through the glass doors and stepped out onto the sidewalk. She squinted her eyes at the horizon. The sun was just beginning to go down, painting the sky in pinks, purples, and oranges. "Where did all the time go?" Lina whispered wonderingly underneath her breath, staring in awe for a moment.

A pair of eyes trained onto her body, but for once, Lina was so absorbed in the view that she didn't notice. A shadow crept from the darkness of the side of the store. The last thing Lina remembered before she hit the ground was the sharp pain to the back of her head, and the feeling of the impact as her face and body connected with the ground. Then, she was swallowed up by darkness.

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_GOSH! Sorry that it's super short but it really had to be. Tell me what you think, please! Hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter up within the next few days but no promises. I'm EXTREMELY sorry for the delay, guys. Thank you all for sticking it out with me and the story. Sadly, there'll probably only be about two or three more chapters after this one. The end is near…review please!_

_Thank you so much, everyone!_

_-Caitie Manda_


	29. Chapter 29: Where Are You?

It had been two hours already. The sun had set. The stars had begun to come out. The moon was rising. Doon checked the time on his phone again. Yes. Two hours had gone by since his phone call with Lina. "Where is she?" he muttered, kicking his feet forward and back as he sat in the swing. "She said that she'd be here a long time ago."

He allowed his swing to come to a stop. The chains squeaked quietly as it slowed. Doon listened to the crickets chirping around him; to the cicadas singing their songs to the nighttime breeze. He reached into his pocket again and pulled up Lina's number on his phone. He dialed the number and held the phone to his ear as he waited for her to pick up. _Ri-ing. Ri-ing. _"Come on," Doon urged, "pick up." _Ri-ing. Ri-ing. Ri-ing. _

"Hey!" Lina's voice came over the other line.

"Hey!" Doon replied, sighing in relief and running his fingers through his hair. "I thought that-"

"It's Lina. Sorry I missed your call, but if you leave me a message I'll call you back as soon as I can. Thank you!" _Beep._

"Hey." He said, "I thought you were going to meet me tonight. I guess you got caught up at the store." He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyway, whenever you get this message, call me back. Thanks. Love you. Bye." He pressed the end button. He waited a few seconds. Felt the breeze on his face. And then…he tried calling her again.

Voicemail.

"Hey! It's Lina. Sorry I missed your call, but if you leave me a message I'll call you back as soon as I can. Thank you!"

"Hey, Lina! It's me again. Are you still at the store? Call me back soon."

Redial.

"Hey! It's Lina. Sorry I missed your call, but if you leave me a message I'll call you back as soon as I can. Thank you!"

"Lina. Did you get my call? Maybe it didn't go through those last two three times. Please call me back."

His fingers flew across the number pad.

_Beep._

"Are you there? Why are you avoiding my calls? Lina? Are you okay? Please give me a call. I'm worried about you."

_Beep._

"Where are you! I need to make sure that you're okay. _Please, _Lina, call me as soon as you get this! I love you! Bye!" Doon's heart began fluttering around uncomfortably in his chest. Why didn't she answer her phone? She always had it on her. She always took his calls. Never missed them. Something was wrong. He decided to call up Mrs. Murdo before he got himself worked up. Who knows? Maybe Lina was safe and sound at home and her phone died. Or she was asleep and didn't hear it go off because it was on silent.

"Hello?" An aged voice said.

"Hello. Mrs. Murdo, is Lina at home?" Doon asked hurriedly. _Please say yes. Please, please, dear GOD please…_

"Nope. Sorry, sweetie. Have you heard from her? She's been gone for some time and I only sent her out for some milk, eggs, and-"

"Bread, I know." Doon interrupted. "Sorry. I have to go."

"That's okay. Thank you for calling, Doon! It was so nice to hear from you. Have good night!"

"You too. Goodnight." Doon hung up before the woman had the chance to lengthen their conversation. He got the information he needed from the phone call, anyway. Lina wasn't home.

Lina wasn't home. Doon's adrenaline started pumping.

_She's hurt somewhere. Find her. Save her._ Doon began to walk brusquely to his motorcycle, a single motive on his mind. _Help her._ Just as he began to put his keys into his car, his phone began to ring.

_Ri-ing. Ri-ing. _He was frozen. His hand was shaking, his keys tinkling together because of his nerves._Ri-ing._ He lowered his hand and reached cautiously for his phone, which was situtated in his pocket. _Ri-ing. Ri-ing. _He took it out. He checked the caller ID.

**Lina Mayfleet**.

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_IT'S A CLIFFY! So what do you guys think? Too over the top? Not dramatic enough? And what's up with the phone call? You'll have to wait until the next chapter. Dun dun duuunnn…. Please review!_

_I'd like to give a shout-out at the moment to myjumpingsocks. Thank you for your reviews and encouragement! It means a lot to me that you took the time to write them. I appreciate hearing your opinions and feedback. And that also applies to the rest of you, my dear readers! So please…review! :) I'll give each and every one of you an amazing imaginary hug and a cookie if you do. A yummy one. Yup. Pretty please with a cherry and extra whipped cream and hot fudge on top?_

_Haha. Thank you all. :)_

_-Caitie Manda_


	30. Chapter 30: Miss Me?

The first thing that Lina registered was what started out as a dull throbbing in the back of her head. She shivered. It was cold. She felt herself slowly come to, dragging her out of unconsciousness. What happened? Why was she here? For a moment, Lina couldn't remember.

Her brown eyes fluttered open. It was dark. Lina realized that it was probably getting late out. She realized then, at this moment, that she was sitting in a chair. _"I don't remember sitting down…" _she tried to stand but found that she couldn't. Another flash of pain entered her system as she grasped the fact that her wrists, torso, and feet were all tied together.

The bindings on her wrists were a touch too tight, and they had begun to rub her skin raw. "Where am I?" she began to say, only to take in the fact that her words were muffled by something that was tied over her mouth. The pain in the lower part of her head, a little above the nape of her neck, began to cry out, and gave her a ringing headache. She was momentarily blinded by the smarting that it was giving her, and when it finally subsided to a deadened ache her sight began to focus better on her dimly lit surroundings.

She began to make out shapes in the gloom; a somewhat spacious room with two sloping structures on each wall opposite of her, with rectangular-shaped forms that came down from the ceiling via long, thick metal rods. A small square-shaped window was mounted up on the right wall, and a small shaft of milky light shone through it from the nearly full moon rising outside. The light fell upon a bit of the slanted shape below it, revealing a stair-like appearance. And then, Lina's brown eyes followed the shaft of light to a silhouette sitting on the bottom stair.

The moonlight glinted off of a cascade of long lightly colored hair, making it shine like silver. She couldn't make out the face, because it was pointed away from the light. But then, it made an ever-so-graceful turn of its head, and Lina could make out some of the facial features about them. An acutely curved jaw line with a petite nose, refined high cheekbones, and full, beautifully curved lips that were turned in a slight frown on the edges. Realization dawned on her. _"Ashley!" _Lina emitted a strangled gasp as the picturesque woman lithely stood, and slowly made her way toward her.

She reached out a neatly manicured hand, with fingernails crimson like blood flashing in the white light, and slowly reached for Lina's chin. It wavered for a moment in front of it, as if the stunning being was debating whether or not to fully carry out gesture. But then it lashed out, roughly grabbing Lina's chin and pulling her face-to-face with the other girl. Ashley lowered her face to meet Lina's, so that her blue eyes, which shone like steel in the light, bore into hers.

Her beautiful face distorted itself into a thinly concealed mask of hatred and bitterness, and her eyes had an almost maniacal sparkle in them. Her lips curved upward into a malicious smile, white teeth flashing. "It's so nice to see you again." she said, her voice dripping with venom. She threw Lina's face away from her, her mouth falling to a disgusted scowl. After a moment, Ashley recoiled and slapped her. The sound rang off of the walls. "Now," the blonde-haired goddess started, taking a deep breath and attempting to calm herself down, "I believe we have a phone call to make." She held up Lina's phone and began to look through her contact list.

Lina's eyes widened. _"Please…don't…" _the deity glided over and ripped the dirty rag from Lina's mouth. She sputtered and spit and gasped for air before she was able to speak. Her brown orbs glared at the teenager in front of her with a burning anger. "Leave him out of this." She ground out. The other girl laughed. The sadistic, unmelodic like tones bounced off of the walls.

"Why would I do that?" Ashley asked, her nostrils flaring with rage. Lina was briefly reminded of a Siren from the book _The Odyssey_; beautiful but extremely lethal. "He deserves to know the truth."

"What are you talking about?" Lina questioned accusingly. "There's nothing to tell!"

"Oh, but isn't there?" she walked a circle around Lina's chair, her smooth hands running over Lina's shoulders and across her back. She clamped down on her arm, her fingernails dug into her skin. Ashley came down, her lips only a few inches from Lina's left ear. "How about we start," her vice-like grip constricted even more. Lina could feel blood beginning to trickle down her arm. "with you telling him about the fact that you don't love him anymore."

Lina yelped, the sound coming in a mix of pain and outrage. "I would never do that! I love him more than you ever could!"

"Maybe," Ashley said carefully, drawing herself back up and slowly taking her fingernails from where they had embedded themselves into Lina's arm. "but maybe not." Lina glared as hard as she could at her.

"You just wait. He'll come to get me." Lina said.

The blonde haired girl stopped pacing. Her back was to Lina. Her blonde hair glided to a stop at her mid-back. Lina noticed that the ends of it were frayed, and that, upon close inspection, Ashley's hair was a bit frazzled. _"She's lost it." _Lina thought, fully comprehending the danger of this situation all of a sudden. This wasn't the Ashley that she had known in school any longer. That Ashley was self-centered, jealous, and arrogant. This one…the girl in front of her was crazy. She might do anything now to reach her goal.

She reached into her pocket and pulled something out of it. Silver glinted in the light for a moment, but Ashley had it in front of her too quickly for Lina to see it. Her heart began to beat at a speed of ninety-to-nothing. This was a _bad_ predicament. "Unless he can't." she whispered. Lina almost thought that she was talking to herself until she whirled around and revealed what she had been holding. A small pistol was positioned in her right hand. She smirked, twirling it on her index finger. "What's wrong, Lina?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and fake-pouting. "Scared of a little tiny gun like this one?" Lina didn't move. Her eyes were frozen on the weapon in Ashley's possession. She stopped twirling it and began pacing again.

"Ashley, don't you think that this is a bad idea?" Lina reasoned with her. "Maybe you should-"

"Don't!" Ashley's head snapped around and looked at Lina, her voice shrill and loud. That maddening shine had entered her eyes again. "Don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do." She said, quieter this time, taking deep breaths to contain herself. "You see, Lina," Ashley began, "I've been planning this for some time, now. Ever since that day in the classroom. But you've never really been one to follow orders, have you?" her nostrils flared again, but she took a deep breath. "Not now," she murmured softly to herself, her fists clenching until her knuckles turned white. "there'll be time for that later." She took to her pacing again. Back and forth. Back and forth. "As I was saying, you really didn't take my warning when you should have. So, ever since you _swooped in _that day, during that thunderstorm at Doon's house, I've been plotting my revenge. I'm not one to act quickly. No, no, no. Because that would mean that I'd just throw together some stupid plan that would end up falling through as soon as I put it to action."

"No, I waited. I watched your every move. Eventually I realized that you were catching on, though, like you always seem to do, so I had to change my tactics a little bit." Ashley paused for a moment to let that sink in. "I began plotting out how I wanted all of this to work, and finally, _today's the day _that I get to see it put into action." She let out a bitter, cynical laugh. "Revenge really _is _sweet, isn't it? It leaves a nice aftertaste, I think." She pulled Lina's phone back out. "Now, you _will _do and say what I tell you to do, or face the consequences. And let's just be honest, here." She closed the distance between them once more and grasped a handful of Lina's hair and yanked her head upward. Tears of pain pricked at her eyes, but she refused to let them spill over. Now was not the time to show weakness. "I'm sure that you have fully understood the meaning of 'or else' by now, am I right?" Lina glared defiantly up at her, her lips pressed together in a tight line. Ashley let out a low, dangerous chuckle. "I believe that I was talking to you. Let's try this again." She gripped Lina's hair tighter, and pulled harder. A few ebony strands fell out and fluttered down to land on Lina's lap. She bit her lip to keep herself from crying out in pain.

"I said," Her voice rose higher again to that nearly shrieking volume, her voice sharp and harsh upon Lina's ears. "I'm sure that you've fully understood the meaning of 'or else' by now, _am I right_?" Lina didn't respond. Ashley threw the hair down in frustration and took the gun back into her hands. She turned it over and over in her hands, marveling the way it shined in the light. "Beautiful, isn't it?" she whispered, smiling down at the contraption as if it were the most magnificent thing she had ever laid eyes on. Her eyes shifted so quickly from the pistol to Lina that, had she not been paying _extremely _close attention, she wouldn't have noticed. A grim smile pulled at the edges of her lips. "Perhaps," she continued, stalking toward Lina with the finesse of a panther going on for the kill, "I should test it out. Just to make sure it works, of course."

"I'm sure that's not necessary." Lina said, laughing uneasily. Ashley ran her fingers over the gun, as if she was trying to memorize all of its features.

"Oh," she giggled, smiling wickedly, "but I'm afraid that it is." Before Lina even had the chance to open her mouth, she heard the first shot go off. It echoed off the walls and within an instant a biting pain like no other she had felt before struck her in the middle of her right leg. Lina let out a repressed roar of agony, biting her lip so hard to hold it in that she began to taste the iron of her blood in her mouth. Ashley lowered the gun slowly, her eyes bright and cheerful. "Works like a charm." She observed, looking over the girl in the chair. "Pathetic." She spat. She turned on her heel and looked through Lina's phone again. "Just so you know," she said, looking at Lina with insufferable loathing, "he's already tried to call you. Five times, in fact." She pressed a few buttons and began to speak again. "Oh look. He's left you five messages. One for each call. Guess he's worried about you, huh? Let's put him out of his misery." She sniggered darkly. "For now. Then, once you've broken his heart, he'll come right back to me! Oh, what a perfect plan." She pressed another button and put the phone to her ear.

This was too much for Lina to handle. Hot tears spilled over and slipped down her face. "N-no," Lina whimpered, "y-you've already gotten what you w-want, right? D-don't bring him into this."

"Too late, sweetheart." Ashley said. A few moments of silence passed before Ashley broke it one last time. "And Lina," she said, "if you say _one word _about this to him, any cry for help or something to that effect, I'll make sure that whatever way I planned to get rid of you will be nice and long and painful. You wouldn't want that, would you? That would hurt him _so _much worse than if you broke his heart." Lina nodded stiffly, .

_"Doon…" _she thought, looking toward the window, her tear-streaked face shining in the light, _"please forgive me. I'm sorry. She gave me no choice." _Ashley made her way to the lights and turned them on. Lina squinted for a moment to take in her surroundings fully, and realized where she was. _"The school gym!" _Another painful beat of still quiet passed, and then…

"Hello?" a familiar voice said over the phone, the bass tones having the opposite effect on Lina's system this time. She could hear the worry in his voice. "Lina? Is that you? Are you okay?"

Ashley's face broke out in a wide catlike grin. "Hi, Doon. It's been _so _long. How are you? I do hope you've been well." A short pause followed.

"Where's Lina?" Doon's voice had that controlled angered tone to it. This was one of his most foul moods yet. Lina only had a handful of times where she had ever heard that tone, and she knew it wasn't good. He could be extremely dangerous when he was angry.

"Lina?" Ashley drew the name out slowly, as if testing it out for the first time. The tears fell faster down her face.

"P-please, Ashley," Lina whispered hoarsely, her voice quivering, "d-d-don't." Ashley's steely orbs found Lina's brown ones, and Lina knew that her pleas were in vain.

"She's fine. I just decided to drop by for a visit." Ashley began walking around Lina in a slow, deadly circle.

"What did you do to her?" His voice was clipped; pained. He was concerned. _"Doon, no. Please, don't listen to her. You can't let yourself get worked up. Don't come for me. Hang up the phone!" _Lina begged silently.

"What do you mean?" She was playing with him. Toying with his emotions; trying to see how far she could stretch him before he'd break. "She seemed a little…upset. I just thought that she'd be happy that I stopped by."

"Let me talk to her." It wasn't a question. It was a demand. The meaning behind it…Lina winced. She knew what he was capable of, even if he didn't.

"Sure." Ashley replied. "Lina," she said, as if she were calling for her. Her voice echoed off the walls. She fixated the brunette with a _you-better-follow-through _stare before holding the phone to her ear. "Doon's on the phone and he wants to talk to you."

Lina gulped. "Are you okay?" he said urgently. "Where are you?" Ashley's stare hardened.

"I-I'm f-fine." Lina forced a laugh and took a deep, shaky breath.

"What happened?" He questioned. He was furious, Lina knew. "_What did she do to you_?"

"A-A-Ashley?" Lina asked softly. "Sh-she thought I m-might n-n-need some c-c-company r-right n-n-now."

"_Lina_." His voice was dead serious. She swallowed hard and blinked a few times before continuing.

"Tell him that you don't love him anymore." Ashley hissed in Lina's ear. "Tell him that you don't think it's working."

"Doon." Her voice faltered. _"What if I can't say it…?" _she thought miserably. She forced the thought to dispel itself. "I think w-we n-n-need t-to t-t-talk."

"What's wrong?" he asked, anxiousness and anxiety filling his voice.

"I…" she broke off. "W-well…" she tried to swallow the lump in her throat that was begging to burst. Fresh tears exploded down her face, and she fought hard to keep the sobs down. "I-I j-j-just d-don't really th-think that i-it's w-w-working a-a-anymore."

"Lina." His voice was constricted, as if he were choking on his own tears as well. "You don't mean that."

"Tell him that you can't keep pretending anymore." Ashley ordered harshly into her ear. "Tell him that you can't force yourself to be with someone when you don't feel the same way about them that they feel about you." Lina gulped and nodded, an idea forming in her head. She hoped that it would work, but she knew that she would hurt him in the process.

"I-I c-c-can't k-k-keep p-p-pretending, D-D-Doon. I-I d-don't w-want t-t-to g-get y-you h-hurt. J-just _stay away_." She paused to make sure that Ashley approved of this. She nodded eagerly, motioning for her to continue. Lina took a deep breath and forced some of the shakiness from her voice. _"Please, Doon. You're smart. Decode my message. You can do it." _She prayed over and over in her head. "I'm s-sure that y-y-you understand. Y-you have n-no i-idea how _painful _this is f-for m-me. To make this e-easier f-for both of u-us, we sh-shouldn't talk at _school_, whether o-outside or _inside_. And p-please, I'd ap-p-preciate it if you wouldn't c-come to a-a-any more of m-my basketball g-games t-to cheer me on." One little detail: Lina didn't play basketball. Ashley didn't know that, though.

Doon's line was quiet as he let what she said sink in. Lina hoped that he understood what she meant. _"Come help me. I need you." _His voice finally came over the other line. "I understand." He murmured softly. And then…

The line went dead.

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_What did you think? Is Doon going to be able to save the day, or is Lina's time being borrowed? You'll soon find out. Durn-durn-dum-duuuurrrrnnnn…_

_Review please! I'd love to know what you think. Like it? Hate it? Tell me! I can only get better if I have some opinions. Thank you!_

_-Caitie Manda_


	31. Chapter 31: On the Edge

Ashley smiled victoriously and giggled, taking the phone and snapping it shut. Lina hung her head low, her hair framing her face. She couldn't believe what she had just done. If Doon didn't understand… She shivered. The thought was not entertaining. At all.

Tears fell from her face and into her lap, her bottom lip quivering. Sharp pains danced up her leg from the wound. Her blood was sticky and hot, and stained the middle of her pants a harsh shade of ruby red. "Well done!" she crowed happily. She took Lina's face into one hand and examined her features carefully. "It's just too bad…" she said apathetically, "You'll never get to tell him that you're sorry. Such a pity."

She bent down and swiped up the rag quickly, running her pale fingers over the dirty, stained material. Ashley's lips upturned into a twisted grin. "You might need this." She held it out pinched between her thumb and forefinger. Lina didn't move. Her eyes followed the blonde as she walked towards her. "Well, maybe not you so much." She said, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "More me. It'll keep others from…" she paused, and strode right up to Lina's face. "overhearing you." She whispered. Lina's eyes widened in shock and alarm as soon as Ashley had pulled away and her back was turned.

"You wouldn't _really _want to do anything rash, right?" She reasoned loudly. "This sort of thing could end up getting you locked up for quite some time."

Ashley's back went rigid; her posture entirely stiff. Lina could see that she was so furious about such an accusation that her hair nearly sparked with electricity. She rounded on Lina in a second, and for the second time, her hand made contact with Lina's face. Only this time, it was her knuckles instead of her palm. Stars exploded across Lina's vision as Ashley fist collided with her nose. A sickening crack followed the impact, and it was so forceful that the chair Lina was bound to tipped back and fell to the floor.

Ashley held her hand to her chest, examining her fingers to double-check that it wasn't she that had gotten the damage. But no; it was Lina who suffered yet another blow. This time it was a most likely a broken nose. Blood burst forth from her nostrils, trailing down the side of her face and mixing in with her hair. It ran down her throat and she choked. She gasped for breath but it only made her cough harder. Ashley slowly fluttered down to her side, watching with eyes gleaming satisfactorily as Lina struggled painfully for air. The hard gym floor had done her no favors, either, for it had brought back the searing pain to the base of her head full force. She moaned in utter agony, sputtering and spitting and trying desperately to _breathe _and thinking, _"Oh GOD, I'm going to die! I'm going to die and no one will be here to help me!" _when she was roughly turned to her side. Blood trickled out of the corner of her lips and oozed out of her nose.

"Don't try to change my mind, Mayfleet." Ashley warned her callously, her blue eyes flashing and nostrils flaring. "This is a decision of which I refuse to be persuaded out of." Lina lay so still that had there been passerby through the room they might have taken her for dead as the realization processed in her brain.

_"One way or another, I'm going to die. Ashley will stop at nothing until that happens. What do I DO…?" _Lina wailed in her head. She spat crimson onto the floor, trying to rid her mouth of the horrible iron taste of her own blood. Ashley had already stood up and started up her pacing once again, stopping for a mere moment to retrieve the small fallen lump of material balled up on the floor; tossed aside in her moment of blinding fury. She had the filthy, faded red bandana gripped so tightly in her left hand that her knuckles were white. Lina saw that her lips were moving quickly as she paced back toward her, forming words so fast that it almost seemed as if she were speaking another language. She strained her ears to hear what she was saying.

"You've already gotten this far," she muttered darkly, her eyes darting around the gym as if there were someone that Lina was unaware of watching them, "and everything's been set. Tonight's the night." A small smile turned up the corners of her pink lips, her hap-hazardly applied lip gloss shimmering in the light just before she turned her back on Lina and walked in the opposite direction. Lina struggled to catch her words this time; she was speaking faster and faster by the minute. Small, quiet snippets of sentences reached her ears. "No time," Ashley whispered, "In too deep." She closed her eyes tightly, trying to focus on nothing else but how far she could extend her hearing range. "Can't back out."

_"She's having cold feet." _Lina's blue eyes snapped open, widening in disbelief. _"She's starting to think about the consequences." _She coughed on a bit of blood that had been slowly draining down her throat. The rapid _tap, tap_ of Ashley's shoes stopped. Lina's heart began to pump as quickly as a race horse's as Ashley rounded on her. She had already been victim of plenty of this girl's violence; she was in no mood for any more. Her feet came closer, rapidly closing the distance between the two girls. A pounding began to throb at her temples as the beginnings of a migraine came on.

_Ka-thump, ka-thump, ka-thump_. All sounds were blocked out of her ears. The hastening beats her heart was making filled her mind. The sharp, unmistakable jab of a shoe colliding solidly with her stomach registered in some part of her brain. _"Maybe she's not backing out." _Lina thought, lying still upon the hardwood floor. She felt too weak to move. _"Part of the problem," _a small voice that sounded an awful lot like hers but she couldn't really tell anymore, _"might have to do with all the blood loss I've had tonight." _Another kick collided with her middle section. Her body shook from the blow.

"_But you know…" _A third strike racked her body, this time to her head, but she was numb to the unforgiving pain. "e_verything's going to be A-OK in the end." _She thought, smiling as if she had won the lottery. Her blue eyes looked upward to see Ashley's face glaring down at her. Her lips moved, and Lina supposed that from her expression that she was angry, but all of a sudden nothing mattered. Lina's smile widened the angrier Ashley became. Something about the situation became quite funny to Lina, and without warning she burst forth into laughter. A vein popped out of Ashley's forehead and she reared her foot back a fourth time. Lina's vision became a little fuzzy as the brunt force jolted through her body. Her eyelids began to shutter slightly. _"What do they say in the movies during moments like this…?" _She tried as hard as she could to remember but she couldn't. _"Don't…don't..." _her eyes felt heavy all of a sudden. _"close my eyes…? Is that right…?" _Lina's foggy eyes traveled upward to see what Ashley was doing. She hadn't been lashing out for a few seconds, now. She faintly saw what looked like her hand dig around in her pocket, and a flash of... _"Is that silver?" _Lina questioned, _"I can't remember…" _She shrugged. It was probably nothing.

An acute pain struck her in the arm, and she dimly registered blood coming from it. _"What's even going on here?" _she wondered dumbly. _"I feel like I should know, but…I don't." _another blinding pain exploded from her left shoulder. She felt dizzy and was starting to feel woozy. _"Why can't I feel this pain? What am I…what can't I remember…?"_

…that was the last thing that Lina Mayfleet thought before she blacked out.

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_Well! If that's not a cliffy…I dunno what is. Did it seem like it was moving too fast? I wasn't sure. Thank you for reading, but please review!_

_AND, in other news, I have good and bad news. Which do you want to hear first? The good news? Okay. I've finally gotten some time to write another chapter. WOO HOO! That right there is an accomplishment all by itself. I'm so proud. :) The bad news is that the reason I had that time was because I'm sick as a dog. Strep throat and tonsillitis. :( I'm currently laid up in my bed, covered up with my heated blanket on 'HIGH' and wearing a long sleeved shirt, pants, socks, and a jacket. I've got some Luden's cherry cough drops, though. Those are my favorite. Plus a bottle of water beside me, just in case I get thirsty. I have a fever, too, and I was disappointed that I had to miss school today. I missed a benchmark that takes FOUR HOURS to complete! I have to make it up on Monday, I think, which really S-U-C-K-S! But all's good cuz I'm loaded down with meds to help me get well extremely soon. I'll be close to my normal self by tomorrow. _

_Sorry for the wait for this chapter, but I just haven't had the time. Thank you so much! There's only one chapter left after this one. Stay tuned, my friends! If it weren't for you guys I wouldn't have continued this. Keep in mind that your reviews keep me going! If I don't get reviews, I'll automatically assume that you didn't like it..._

_THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!_

_-Caitie Manda :)_

_P.S. I apologize for the extreme shortness of this chapter. It was only three pages on Word... :/_


	32. Chapter 32: Remember Me

**Author's Note**

_This is the final chapter of this story. I have mixed emotions about this…it's the longest story I've ever written! It's taken time, dedication, and work to get it to go this far. When I first started writing it over the summer, I never would have dreamed that it would've become so popular! I mean, look at all the reviews! 68 and counting! I am so glad that you have all been patient with me throughout this process. I'm hoping that, depending on your opinions, I might make a sequel… please tell me what you think! I appreciate the time you're taking right now to read this. Now, for the last time with this particular story…let's get on with the chapter! :)_

_P.S._

_This chapter is written in first person, from Lina's POV. I thought it was more fitting that way._

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><p>"Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start to absorb what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book, and remembering – because you can't take it in all at once." – Audrey Hepburn<p>

"Remembering is painful, it's difficult, but it can be inspiring and it can give wisdom." – Paul Greengrass

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><p>Some say that the key to happiness in life is success, when in reality the key to success is happiness. You never truly know which one you'll be until you've been through both. I've seen more than my fair share of them, and people who follow both rules. I've realized that I'd rather be the happy one; the one who, despite the fact that everything for me may not be going as well as I'd hoped, I'd get what I needed, which is sometimes more important than what I want. Once it's all said and done, after all, isn't that what you'd want to be remembered for?<p>

I am still in high school now, but that's okay; I'm closer than many on the road to discovering just who I am, was, and who I'll become. Along that path, I've encountered many obstacles, some good and some bad, but the experience was priceless; I wouldn't want things any other way. I discovered what it meant to truly love someone wholly for who they are, and the definition of the word 'love' itself. Maybe it seems a little melodramatic since I've barely lived yet, but maybe it's not. You see, I've found something that not many find throughout all of this. True love. The kind that is unbreakable as long as I am Lina and he is Doon. Love that is so strong that it lasts even after death; the kind that you might read in the fairytales and in romance novels.

I may not be the most successful person around, but I'm pretty sure that I'm one of the happiest. I'm living the life that my parents would be proud of; I've gotten what I needed and I still strive everyday to get what I want. Who knows? I might never get it. My long-term goals may never be reached, but that's okay. All that matters is that I am surrounded by my family and friends every step of the way.

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><p>I looked down at my hands folded in my lap. "I can't do it." I whispered softly.<p>

"Sure you can." Doon reached across the console and tilted my head upward gently by my chin. "I'll be there every step of the way."

I took in his words doubtfully. "But what if people treat me differently now? I know that everyone's heard about it already."

"They won't, Lina." He assured me, his brown eyes locked onto mine, determination swirling around in those deep chocolaty orbs.

I pulled my head away and looked out the window. "You don't know that, Doon." I reminded him, a touch of bitterness lacing through my voice. "And neither do I." Doon fell silent and the only sounds in the car were the air conditioner gently blowing on our faces and the engine softly purring as we loitered in the high school parking lot. "I just…I can't face them. Not yet."

I could see my reflection in the window and barely flinched. The first time I saw what had become of me I went to the bathroom and rid my stomach of the contents of my light lunch the hospital had provided. The bruises had started to fade, but they were still very distinct against my pale skin. My nose was still healing (the doctors confirmed that it was broken), so I had bandages across the bridge of it. A bruise that was mysteriously shaped like the outline of a handprint was on my left cheek, and smaller spots of varying shades of purple traveled along my jaw line.

I gingerly touched my bottom lip; the swelling on that had gone down considerably. I readjusted my pale green turtleneck for the nth time since I'd put it on, grateful that it covered up at least some of the damage, and then placed my hand back in my lap, gripping my other hand tightly. It was only then I realized that Doon had been watching me the entire time, so I slowly turned to look at him. "Doon," I began, clearing my throat slightly to try to dismiss the knot that had formed inside of it, "I have to ask you a question."

He furrowed his brows at my serious tone. "What's wrong?"

"Do you…" I took a deep breath to calm myself down. This was a question that had been drifting around in my mind ever since I woke up in the hospital three days after that night when I first saw him. I could feel tears stinging at the corners of my eyes. "Am I still…" My eyes were getting glassy and I blinked a few times in a poor attempt to dispel the tears. "Do you still think that I'm pretty?" There. I said it. No matter how childish and silly the question was, I needed to ask it at some point. Blame my stupid insecurities, if you want.

His dark eyebrows rose up so high that they almost disappeared into his hairline. He didn't waste a moment to answer. He leaned across the console and placed a light kiss upon my forehead and bore his eyes into mine. "Why would you even need to ask me that?" he chuckled, reaching forward and tucking a stray lock of my hair behind my ear. "You're still Lina to me; beautiful both inside and out. You should never have to worry about that nonsense with me, and you know it."

My blue eyes drifted to my lap and I breathed a shaky sigh of relief. "I know – it was stupid of me. I don't know what came over me, it's just-" And just like that he silenced me with a tender kiss, careful to keep from hurting me. He drew back after a moment and smoldered me once again underneath one of his 'looks'; the ones that he reserved just for me.

"Are you ready to go inside now?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I guess…" I mumbled. He nodded once and we both unbuckled. I waited in the car as he got out, getting our things from the trunk. He opened my door, smiling encouragingly.

"You can do it, Lina. I have more than enough faith in you to know that." I rolled my eyes at his pep-talk and allowed him to lift me from the car and into my chair. I folded my arms and glared at the ground. I heard Doon laugh behind me. "This thing," he said, tapping one of the handles on the wheelchair, "is only temporary. The doc said you'll only need it for two months."

"Doesn't mean that I have to like it." I muttered as he closed my car door and proceeded to wheel me toward the front door.

"C'mon," he said lightheartedly, "smile already. You know you can't stay mad forever."

"I can," I replied defiantly, sticking my nose up in the air, "and I will."

"Uh-huh, okay." He didn't believe me. How could he _not_ believe me? I was being completely serious, here! "Oh, look! Here comes Lizzie." He said. What is he playing at, anyway? I could hear that stupid smirk that makes me swoon every time I see it in his voice. Geez. Why does my boyfriend have to be so irresistible? "Better hurry and cheer up – wouldn't want her to get the wrong impression, would you?" Okay. That was slightly funny. The corners of my lips lifted slightly. No! What am I doing? I can't give in to the enemy! No no no! This is completely unacceptable. Lina Mayfleet, don't you _dare _smile…!

At that moment, I knew that everything would be okay. Besides, what good was a life without a little twist every now and then? I had everything that any girl my age could ever want and more. And there was just something about that thought that made me happier than anything else. Maybe, I thought as I smiled and laughed, half-heartedly trying to swat my childhood best friend Lizzie Bisco away from me to keep from squeezing me to death in a bear hug, just maybe I didn't really need much more than that because _this, _all of it, and what led up to it, is exactly what I wanted.

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><p>I waited anxiously up on the stage. I always tried my hardest at school, but I had no idea until a few weeks prior that I was the best. I got a letter in the mail saying that I was the Ember High School valedictorian, and that I would be giving a speech to my fellow graduating class. I didn't have any idea how I would start it; who would? I knew that this speech was probably going one of the most important ones I'd give (and trust me, I've given quite a few. Ever heard of the Debate Club, by chance?) in my entire school career. The only problem is…what was I supposed to say?<p>

I'd put a lot of thought into this speech. Graduation day was going to be the first step toward the future – a future with us, this year's seniors in the large town of Sparks, jumping into the world of work and going to start our new lives away from home. Who in their right mind _wouldn't _be nervous about that?

I took a deep breath. This was it. My moment to shine and show the school one last time just what Lina Elizabeth Mayfleet had to say. I looked out upon the audience, at all the beaming faces sitting there. With the parents, family, and friends, I spotted Mrs. Murdo, her silvery hair tied up in a professional-looking bun and dressed in a periwinkle top skirt with white pearl snap buttons around the neck and a crisp black skirt, smiling proudly up at the stage in my direction. Beside her was Poppy, with her ebony curls pulled back at the front and tied with a pink satin ribbon in the back to match her little dress; black shiny Velcro dress shoes upon her feet and white stockings beneath her dress, looking around at everyone and everything in sight curiously, chattering off about something every now and then with Doon's father, who was seated next to her.

I could see the contented smile upon his face as he looked down at my sister, his gray eyes crinkling on the edges as he would quietly murmur his reply. He resembled Doon in so many respects; they both shared a similar face shape and body structure, and even some of the expressions they make. My smile fell ever so slightly around the edges as I took in the empty seat beside Loris Harrow; everyone knew to leave it empty just for his wife who would never show. I'd seen a picture of her before on one of the occasions that I went to Doon's house. She was a beautiful woman with chocolaty brown eyes and wavy, silky-looking tresses of hair falling like a shining waterfall over her shoulders. Her smile was the exact same as Doon's; it lit up her whole face and was extremely contagious. Doon looked a lot like her, too.

I wished that I could meet her sometimes. Doon has told me on multiple occasions that she would've liked me; I was the same kind of person that she was, he said, down to earth and sweet, ready to put others before themselves in a moment's notice. I still had hope that one day I would, but I knew that now wasn't the proper time to think about things like that.

My eyes continued to slowly scan the crowd, jumping from the guests to the graduating class as I searched for my friends. A head of thick, fiery red hair straightened and shining to sleek perfection bobbed up and down, nodding to something that the person next to them was saying. Lizzie was the picture of the perfect senior; her graduation cap placed on her head tilted just so and her deep green graduation gown matching the exact shade of her eyes. She fluttered her eyelashes and I could see a very faint tint of pink across her cheeks as she spoke to her dark haired boyfriend Tick Hassler. I would have never believed that a boy could change that girl for a million years, and if someone had told me so I'd have told them that they were crazy. Now, though, seeing how she acted and reacted around him, I could see the difference between her old self and this new one.

The old Lizzie would have simply been a flirt; she wasn't really interested in the boy, but she enjoyed the attention he'd give her. The one sitting there now had finally figured out what it was like to be with someone for their all, and she treasured every moment that she had his attention. I was happy for her. After everything she's been through, she deserved this.

On Lizzie's other side sat some of our other friends: Betsy, Trish, Sarah, and Zoey, and beside Zoey, finally, was _him_. Time stopped at that moment. Everything slowed down just for us. He smiled at her, his brown eyes shining, and the light around him sharpened the features of his handsome face. His hat was nestled atop his thick wavy brown hair, slightly lopsided. My grin widened and so did his. 'We did it!' he mouthed, giving me a thumbs-up.

'I know!' I replied, giggling softly from up on the stage. I composed myself quickly as the principal stood up and walked toward the podium, fear and anxiety filling my system again. "Salutations!" Miss Thorn said cheerily, her light brown hair pulled back into a loose braid down her back and dressed in a muted shade of purple. Her gray eyes looked out over the audience, regarding each person kindly. "Thank you for taking the time out of your daily schedules to be here with us today to see this year's graduating class off. Now, on behalf of the student body, please give a warm welcome to our very own Lina Mayfleet, this year's valedictorian, as she speaks on behalf of the student body."

I rose from my chair hesitantly, even as applause was given to me from all sides of the room. I walked up to the podium and cleared my throat nervously, putting my speech notes out in front of me. I squinted my eyes slightly in the bright lighting at the front of the stage, refraining from putting my hand up to shield them as I looked out upon the crowd. I spotted Doon again, and he was smiling proudly up at me. 'You'll do great. Good luck!' he mouthed. I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"Well," I said, my voice echoing off of the walls of the gymnasium. "we finally did it." I laughed nervously and glanced down at my paper, gripping onto the podium for dear life. "Four years ago, we were the freshman. I remember walking into this high school and attending my first day of classes clearly. The only thought on my mind at the time was, 'This place is _huge_! How can people keep from getting lost in here?'." A few people chuckled as they recalled their first day. "I never dreamed that one day in the near future, I'd be the senior. It just seemed so far away to me. Four years was _such _a long time! Senior year seemed far away."

"Now, it's kind of funny to me that I thought that. The time has simply flown by since then. One minute I was a freshman, intimidated by how tall everyone seemed to be and how small I was compared to them, and the next I was the tall person who was intimidating the freshman." I had let up a little on my death grip of the edge of the podium, feeling slightly more comfortable on the stage than I had. "This is the first step into our new lives, folks. Some of us might jump right into the world of work, exploring and figuring out the ins and outs of things, and some of us might pack up our bags and head off to college. Who knows? By our first high school reunion five years from now, some of us might be mothers and fathers or husbands and wives; maybe even both." I waited for the short bubble of murmuring to die down before continuing.

"The thing is, that's not the point. Where we are five, ten, even twenty or fifty years from now doesn't matter. What really matters is what you did with the time between now and then. It's things like that which shape us into who we are. Lessons will be learned along the way through hardships and prosperous times, teaching us new ways to do things. I would like to say that right at this moment, I know where I myself will be, but I don't know. Who would? No one knows what the future will hold. All we can do is live in the present and tackle each day one by one, striving for our best at every turn or unexpected twist that might pop up."

"We have to take everything from our past and interpret it; we have to figure out how to apply it to what we are doing." I smiled, glancing down at my paper for a moment and looking back up confidently. "Everyone has memories. We all remember good and bad experiences, and what's important in that is to figure out what to take away from all of those situations. When that's done, you should be proud of yourself. You tried your very best throughout your life and now you'll never die because your memory will live on in the hearts of everyone who was touched by you."

I laughed half-heartedly. "Sorry." I apologized softly into the microphone. "It seems that I've gone a bit off-track with this speech." I cleared my throat, deciding to tackle this from a different angle. "Looking at each and every one of my fellow classmates brings a slight sadness to my heart. It's the kind that you get when it's time to let go of something dear to you. This is one of those things that we'll never get back. After today, we can never call ourselves Ember High schoolers again. I'll never see many of you day-in and day-out in classes again. I'm going to miss this. High school has harbored some of my best memories so far, and you know what the saddest part is? I can't add onto those. They won't be the same without each and every one of you. I'll miss these days, sure, but the only way to keep moving forward is to _let go_. I hope that all of you can do the same as we come closer to leaving each others' presence for the final time." Everyone took in my words thoughtfully, and I caught sight of a few heads bobbing up and down in agreement.

"This is our last day together. Let's celebrate to the fullest because we did it! We have the chance to say that we survived high school! I am glad that I could have done it with all of you. Congratulations, guys!" It was dead silent in the room. A beat of uncomfortable silence passed, and then…booming applause and cheering burst out. This was my moment to shine, and I knew that I did.

Even though sometimes I could be silly, naive, and a bit childish, I knew when the proper time came for most everything. Maybe I won't be remembered for much, and for some, I won't be remembered at all besides a face in the yearbook, but that's all okay.

When it's all said and done, the most important people in my life will remember me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

_FIN. :)_

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_SO…? What did you think? Was it a suitable ending? I enjoyed writing it, if that helps. I was feeling…inspirational…when I wrote it, too, so that explains the general theme of it…review! After all, this will be your last one for this story. Thank you so, SO much for taking the time to read this and stay dedicated to the story! If it weren't for you guys, I don't know where this would've gone! I appreciate all of your opinions and ideas. Thank you so much for all of your support throughout this entire process. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences as far as FF stories go that I've had. Do you realize that this is the longest story I've EVER WRITTEN? That's amazing!_

_As I said in the author's note at the beginning of this chapter, I'm debating on whether or not to do a sequel. It definitely wouldn't be this long…probably about three chapters or so. Maybe even shorter, I dunno. Whatcha think? Should I do it? It's open for discussion because I'm still not really sure. _

_Lots and lots of hugs to everyone! One for you, and you, and you…oh! Sorry. How could I forget about you? There you go. Glad to help you out, there. Lol. Thank you all so much!_

_-Caitie Manda :)_


	33. EPILOGUE: Chapter 1

_Epilogue: Chapter 1_

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><p><em>The door slammed open and a very enraged boy stormed in. He took one look at the bruised and bloodied girl tied to a chair on the floor and then his eyes zeroed in on her. "YOU!" he bellowed furiously.<em>

"_Me." She replied, smiling and twirling the silver gun around her finger. She thought she had the upper hand. She thought she had everything under control._

_She was wrong._

_He flew across the room with near inhuman speed and tackled her to the ground. He held her down and pried the pistol from her hand and threw it across the room. "What," he hissed, his voice dangerously low, "did you do to her?"_

_She laughed maniacally in response. "Oh, but wouldn't you like to know?" His eyes were mere slits and his nostrils flared._

"_I'll ask once more. What did you do to her?" he demanded, his expression murderous._

"_We only shared some girl bonding time!" she said through her deranged cackling. He snarled in frustration and his fist collided with her face almost an instant later. Blood spurted from her nose and dribbled out of her mouth. Her lips parted and she gave him a bloody-toothed smile. "She was _so _fun to play with." His eyes flashed dangerously. He raised his fist to deal another blow when the gym doors burst open. A girl with long, shining red hair stood in the doorway._

_She flipped her hair over her shoulder and glared at the blonde currently sprawled out on the floor. "You'll pay for this." She spat vehemently. The rest of the struggle was a blur of red, purple, and eventually…black._

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><p>"<em>Guilty!" The gavel came down, creating a loud echo in the courtroom. The sound reverberated off the walls with a sense of finality.<em>

"_The accused will hereby be faced with thirty years in the county prison for the assault of a one Doon Harrrow," One slam. "another thirty years for the assault of a one Elizabeth Bisco," A second slam. "and an additional fifty years or till death for the attempted murder of a one Lina Mayfleet." A third slam. It was over._

_..._

"_Case closed!"_

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><p>Cameras flashed. News reporters swarmed all around. Everyone wanted to know the truth. Everyone wanted to know how she had ended up this way. It had all started out pleasantly enough, she reasoned. Everything was going as smoothly and cleanly as pouring a glass of pure white milk. But then… her bottom lip curled. <em>She <em>came in. All of her plans – ruined. The metaphoric glass of milk had curdled and turned sour.

Somehow, though, even after everything she had done to her…

Even though she knew that she should really, truly hate her…

She looked at the starlit sky through her small rectangular window. _I just can't._

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><p>"See you after work!" She called to her husband from the doorway. He was currently lumbering sleepily around in the kitchen preparing his morning coffee in his robe and house shoes, his dark brown hair sticking out in all directions. She saw him nod in response and blink his brown eyes blearily.<p>

"Love you, too." He said through a yawn. She let out a laugh.

"You better not make yourself late to your job," she warned jokingly.

He somehow managed to flash a smirk in her direction. "You wish." She rolled her eyes, smiling, and checked her wristwatch.

"I better head out now, otherwise _I'll _be the late one."

"And we most definitely wouldn't want that, now would we?" He teased.

"Ha ha, very funny." She put her purse onto her shoulder and opened the door. "Bye! I love you!" she said before shutting the door. She walked to her car and carefully got in. So what if she was leaving two hours before she needed to be at work? What he didn't know certainly wouldn't hurt him, that was for sure.

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><p>"West," a tall, bulbous officer with a curly gray moustache and balding head said as he approached her. She looked up from her sweeping. "you have a visitor."<p>

She regarded him curiously. "Mine come on Saturdays." It was a Thursday.

"Doesn't matter much to me. Come along." He barked in a gruff voice. She shrugged, set the broom aside, and followed behind the policeman. After she had been searched, she was allowed to go. A meaty hand landed on her shoulder. "Twenty minutes, West. That's all you got." She nodded her understanding. "Just there," he said after a minute, as if sensing her hesitance. He pointed to a corner.

"Thanks, uh," she peered at his nametag before finishing her sentence. "Officer Bryant." He grunted in response and left her to her visitor. She slowly made her way over, dragging her feet with each step. She didn't get any visitors besides her parents, who only came on the previously stated day every week. She finally looked up to see the mysterious visitor once she sat down and gasped.

Through the sheet of soundproof glass was none other than _her_. Her ebony hair was cut shorter these days, now just below her shoulders instead of her mid-back and she grew her bangs out. Her fair skin was clear as always besides the freckles along the bridge of her nose and beneath her eyes, and her blue eyes were done up with a touch of brown eyeliner and mascara. She couldn't help but admit that she thought it looked nice on her. Pretty, even. But the biggest surprise wasn't even the fact that she was there at all but the silver band on her left hand with a small glittering diamond on it. Her eyes traveled a little farther down and widened at her waist. A large, perfectly round bulge was protruding from her mid-section.

She fumbled for the phone and spoke into it. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd drop by."

"But…don't you hate me? I did terrible things to you that night."

Her naturally rose-colored lips smiled softly. "I forgive you."

"Why?" She had to know. The thought had been bugging her for a while.

"It's been long enough." The other woman said simply. Her expression changed slightly. "How long has it been, again?"

The girl called 'West' frowned a little. "Three years."

"How've you fared?"

"Alright, I guess. Better than most." She pointed to her green and white striped clothing. "This lets me do some work around here inside, so I'm at least preoccupied and don't have to think about it as much."

"That's good." The woman twirled the phone line around her finger idly. It was quiet for a moment.

"You married him, then?" She spoke up suddenly, almost impulsively.

The blue-eyed woman looked up. "Yeah, I did." She moved her hand from the wire to rest on top of her stomach.

"Thought so." she paused before adding, "When are you due?"

"About three weeks." She admitted. "We'll be the proud parents of a handsome baby boy."

"Ah, and of course he'll look just like his father, am I right?" They both shared a laugh. "Are you scared, Lina?"

"About having the baby?" Lina asked. She nodded. "No; I'm ready to see him."

"What's his name going to be?"

"Xackary James Harrow." She patted her belly fondly. "We'll just call him Xac for short, though."

"That's a nice name." she murmured thoughtfully after a little while, letting the information sink in. "Xac…"

Lina looked at her seriously. "Ashley, how have you been? Honestly."

"Ten more minutes, West!" the police officer called. Ashley looked over her shoulder at him and back at Lina.

"Some days are better than others." She sighed truthfully. "But I know that I deserve every moment in here that I got, so I guess it doesn't really matter."

"Why'd you do it?" Lina asked quietly after a short pause.

"I was jealous." She replied. "Now, I wish I hadn't gone to the extremes that I did." Her eyes watered slightly. She looked at Lina guiltily. "I am so sorry for the pain I caused you. I nearly…I could have killed you that night."

"You could have," Lina agreed, "but you didn't. The damage is done and I'm all healed up now."

"Five minutes left!"

"Got it!" Ashley exclaimed in irritation back at him. Couldn't he see that she was having an important phone call? She turned back to her fellow twenty-one year old, her expression broken and her eyes hardened. "The scars will never go away."

"Maybe not," Lina said. Her voice lowered. "or maybe they could."

A few precious minutes ticked by in silence before Ashley spoke for the last time. "I wanted to be a model, you know." She whispered into the receiver.

"You would've been great." Lina said.

"Time's up, West." The cop said, walking up to stand behind her. "Wrap it up already."

"Yes sir." Ashley replied. She looked at Lina. "This is it, isn't it? I'll never be seeing you again, will I?"

"I'm afraid so." Lina affirmed quietly. "It wouldn't do."

"No," Ashley agreed quickly, laughing to try to mask the tears that had just sprang to her eyes. "I guess not."

"Goodbye, Ashley." Lina murmured.

"Bye, Lina." Ashley said back. "You'll make a great mom." She added hastily.

"Thank you." Lina nodded to her and hung up the phone. The line went dead. Ashley watched as she stood up and walked out of the little room on the other side of the soundproof glass.

"C'mon," the policeman said, poking her in the back. Ashley stood up and walked back to the hallway where she had been working and picked up the broom from where she'd leaned it against the wall. She took back up her sweeping, though her mind was far, far away from the task at hand.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_So, I was thinking about my stories while I was going through deleting some of the totally cheeseball ones (I can't believe some of the stuff I wrote! Oh my goodness!), and I thought about how totally ridiculous it was that I posted the epilogue as a separate story for just three measly little chapters. My logic when I did that was obviously faulty. The good news is, I found the screws I lost (how could I have missed them when they were rolling around on the ground right in front of me?) and put them back in, so all's well. :)_

_-Caitlyn_


	34. EPILOGUE: Chapter 2

_Epilogue: Chapter 2_

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><p>"<em>I hate you<em>!" Lina shouted, letting out a scream.

Doon smiled tightly and gave her hand a squeeze, which proved somewhat difficult when he had lost all feeling in his fingers a while ago from the death grip she had on his hand. "No, you don't." His wife gave another loud wail of pain from the bed he was standing next to.

"The baby's crowning!" the doctor said from the foot of the bed. He looked up at Lina and gave her an encouraging smile. "Three more pushes and he'll be out, Lina."

Her face was red and dripping with perspiration, and her hair was drenched in sweat. She gave the doctor a weak smile and nodded her head. "Come on, baby, you're almost there. Keep trying." Doon said to her.

Lina tensed her body and pushed with all her might, her strength slowly draining from her after over three hours of labor. She gritted her teeth as the intense pain of the contraction hit, and then she felt as though her body was being viciously torn to shreds from the waist down. Her legs were numb by that point, having been propped up for so long. "Doon, this is all your fault!" She screeched, clutching his hand so tightly that he was slowly beginning to lose circulation to his fingers. The pain she felt brought hot, stinging tears to her eyes, but she didn't even have enough strength to cry.

"Two more pushes, Lina." Dr. Claybourne said. Lina heaved with all she had in her before falling back to the blankets. "His head is out! Once more and you'll be finished!"

"I..." Lina closed her eyes. "I can't..." she whispered.

Doon reached out and gently brushed some sweaty locks of hair from her face. "Yes you can." He said, his brown eyes glowing. "Make me a father, Lina. I want to see our son."

And that was all she needed to hear.

She tensed her muscles and gave a final mighty push, and then the pain she had felt, even with the aid of the anesthetics, went numb. She slumped against the bed, her head falling into the pillow, and closed her eyes, ready to drift off to sleep after such a long day of exertion. That's when she heard the most beautiful sound she had ever heard.

A tiny, shrill voice crying.

Her eyes flew open, searching for her son—_their_ son—and she caught the first glimpse of him as he was being weighed and measured on a table away from her, the sound of his angry wailing filling the air. But then he was swaddled in blankets and carried across the room by Dr. Claybourne in his blue scrubs, and he carefully handed the tiny bundle to Lina. "I'd like to introduce you to your son, Zacary James Harrow."

Hearing his name and seeing him right there, even though his tiny face was scrunched up and he was screaming, made the dam burst. Tears of joy burst forth, and she smiled down at her son. She was falling in love all over again, her entire life forever changed because of that little wonder. She could barely hear the nurses and the doctor as they chorused 'Happy Birthday' for her newborn son until she heard a deep voice softly singing along beside her.

"Shhh..." Lina murmured, cradling him close to her chest and rocking him gently. "Don't cry, little baby. Momma's here now." His cries quieted until he finally fell silent, having fallen asleep in her arms. Apparently she wasn't the only exhausted one.

It was then that she realized that everyone had already filed out, the door shut behind them, and it was just her and Doon. "He's..." Lina turned to look at her husband, taking in his overjoyed expression, the tears shining in his eyes. "He looks..."

"Like an angel." Lina murmured softly, smiling at him.

Doon looked at Lina for a second before pulling her into a hug, planting kisses all in her hair, trailing his way from her temples to her cheeks and finally to her lips, kissing her softly. "You did so good, baby." He repeated over and over again, "So good..."

Lina looked at Zac, taking in his miniature features. He had a little button nose, minuscule, nearly colorless lips, and perfectly round cheeks, his skin a purplish hue. Dr. Claybourne had told her earlier that that was normal; since babies don't breathe until they're outside of the mother's womb, their blood isn't oxygenated until they come into the world. After a while, he went on, their skin will take on its natural color.

She reached out with one finger and nudged his tiny dark purple fist with it, and his long fingers opened up and grabbed it. His hand was so small compared to hers, so perfect. He had tiny, delicate fingernails on each finger. She lifted the soft blue knit cap—the only article of clothing on his body besides his tiny diaper—on his head, careful not to jolt him or wake him up, and saw that his head was nearly bald except for an extremely thin layer of short, fine brown hairs.

She looked at her husband and asked, "So, daddy, would you like to hold Zac? Mommy needs some sleep."

Doon laughed. "I'd love to." Lina handed their son to him, placing him into her husband's protective arms before sinking back into the bed.

"Doon, I'm sorry for all the stuff that I said. I didn't mean any of it." She murmured after a moment of watching him, awestruck by the tender gaze on his face as he looked at Zac. He'd just fallen in love, too—Lina just knew it.

"I know you didn't, Lina. You were in labor." Doon cracked a goofy smile at her, causing Lina to giggle. "Heck, I would've hated me too if I were in your shoes."

"I love you, Doon Harrow." Lina whispered.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I love you, too, Lina Harrow." He replied with a warm smile, giving her lips another gentle peck. "Now get some rest." His expression and tone of voice, though tender, held no room for argument (despite the fact that she was in no state for that anyway), so she closed her eyes and drifted off within moments, her mind running away to a dreamland filled with baby boys wrapped in white teddy-bear patterned hospital blankets wearing blue knit caps on their heads.


	35. EPILOGUE: Chapter 3

_Epilogue: Chapter 3_

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><p>"Are you sure that you're ready for that?" Doon asked, his brows knitting together the way they always had when he was feeling skeptical. It was one of the many traits Lina loved about him. "I know how much this therapist has helped you, but you need to try to think about anything else you want to figure out. If you're sure that you're done, we can give their office a call now. But you're the only one who can make that decision, Lina."<p>

Lina considered his words carefully, although if she were to be perfectly honest with herself, she had already thought about that and then some. Was it really something she was ready to give up? Was she sure that she could handle life on her own now, without her therapist's guidance?

When it all came down to it, she knew the answer as surely as she knew her middle name, and that was reassuring for her.

She nodded her head. "Yes," she said finally, "I'm ready." She looked across the room at their sleeping three-year-old son, Zacary, and then at the two-month-old girl, Rebecca, napping in her husband's arms.

After going in exactly a year ago to unlock the answers to her past—namely why she couldn't remember anything about Doon being friends with her when they were children (that had always bothered her)—it was time to let it go. She had finally reached the point in her life where she could take two steps forward without a single step back.

And it was hard, she would admit. Things were never going to be easy as long as she was breathing and her heart was beating, but that was _life_.

You had to learn how to accept the hand that life deals you. That was one of the lessons her therapist taught her, and she had taken it to heart.

For example, she had forgiven Ashley despite the fact that everyone else said she didn't deserve it, but the truth was that she had accepted what happened that night in the gym, she really had. She forgave Ashley because that's what Ashley needed to hear to move on with her life.

And not only that, but she had forgiven Ashley to make amends with herself. She needed to forgive the person who had caused her more pain than anyone ever had in her entire life in order to really move past it, and after that day, it left her with less weight on her shoulders.

So, as Doon said, they called and put an end to the appointments. Her therapist had told her during their last couple of sessions that it was getting about time to do it, anyways.

What was the truth about it, after everything? Lina's truth about why she couldn't remember Doon when they were kids was simple: her mind had put up a wall around those memories as a defense mechanism, because she had been so wounded by how horrendously their friendship ended. Once she had started becoming friends with him again, her therapist had continued, her mind slowly allowed the walls to crumble back into the dust.

Lina looked around her home and smiled. She smiled because she had a brilliant husband who she loved and would do anything for, and she also smiled because she knew the feeling was mutual. She smiled because she had two beautiful children who brought so much immense joy into her life. She smiled because she had two amazing best friends—the Hasslers (not so surprisingly, Tick had inevitably fallen for Lizzie's undeniable charms, and they got married not too long after Lina and Doon had), who stuck by the Harrow family just as much as they stuck to theirs, defending each other whenever necessary as well as entertaining each other. She smiled because her little sister had slowly grown and wasn't so little anymore, which made her feel a slight twinge of sadness, but it was bound to happen eventually. She smiled because she had the best father-in-law and mother that anyone could ever ask for.

Mostly, though, she smiled because her life was full of happiness, her heart was nearly bursting with love, and she knew that there was more to come as time went by.

_**The End.**_


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